we can make a beautiful christmas!

December 31st, 7:00 PM. Logan finds himself scraping dishes and loading the dishwasher with the gentle strums of an acoustic guitar playing idly through the apartment.

“You know the best part of being in this relationship?” He asks, closing the dishwasher and starting it. “I get to both prepare the meal and do the dishes! It’s almost like having my own place again, except with half the space”

Kendall smiles and continues strumming. “Yeah, but I do the shopping”

“And have I mentioned yet how much I love the organic, whole wheat, fair trade, $800 grocery bill, babe?”

“Don’t worry sweetie, I know. And you’re welcome”

Logan makes his way to the couch and acquiesces to the kiss Kendall leans up for, before draping his arm over the musician’s shoulders and pulling out his phone.

“And how could you forget the ambience I provide?”

“Incomparable”

“Isn’t it?” He strums a bit more before a shit grin blooms on his face “Anyway, here’s ‘Wonderwall’” he takes a big inhale and speeds up the strumming before “TODAY, IS GONNA BE THE-” Logan clamps his hand over Kendall’s mouth, probably harder than needed, and laughing at Kendall’s muffled curses as he squeezes his head against his chest. That is, until he feels that slimy tongue of his wriggling against his palm. With a shout of disgust he frees his laughing partner from his grasp and wipes his hand on his jeans.

“I can’t believe that worked! You act like you haven’t had my tongue on and in every part of you” Kendall wheezes.

“Yeah well, that’s in the heat of the moment”

“Aww, do I not heat you up anymore, pookie?” Kendall asks, pouting out his lip dramatically.

“Nah, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that actually. I’m leaving you”

“For Katelyn?”

“How’d you know?”

Kendall resumes his place against Logan’s chest.

“Saw the twitter speculation. It’s ‘cause she still has hair, isn't it?”

That part feels a little too sincere on Kendall's part; a little too close to something Logan knows he genuinely feels at least some insecurity over; so he responds in kind.

“Nah, never mind” he says, kissing the fuzz on his lover’s scalp and rubbing it with his hand “I could never give up my lucky cue ball”

Kendall sighs gently and resumes his strumming. Logan relaxes into the couch, continuing to absentmindedly massage Kendall’s head with one hand and scroll his phone with the other. Periodically he hums along with Kendall or sings quietly.

Evening slips into night as they while away the hours.

Kendall’s strings begin playing something that stirs Logan’s heart and he sets his phone down, presses his lips to the top of Kendall’s head as those oh so familiar chords begin, and keeps them there as Kendall begins.

“Young, and full of running. Tell me where has that taken me? Just a great…”

“Just a great” Logan echoes, taking his traditional part in this duet of theirs

“Figure eight or a tiny infinity…”

He continues the song, holding Kendall and singing into his head, feeling sentimental in a way he doesn’t often indulge in. Kendall kind of dominates the sappy emotionality domain of their relationship and someone’s gotta keep it somewhat together or they’d just be a puddle of warm emotional goo.

Sometimes he’s not sure why he thinks that would be so bad.

“There, I just said it. I’m scared you’ll forget about me” they finish in practiced harmony. Logan sighs and rests his cheek against Kendall’s head, thinking about their tiny infinity. The years since they met. The way this song became theirs. The way he grew from scared, closeted 20-something to comfortable, who cares anymore 30-something. The man who wove in and out of his life throughout those years, until the fibers of their being were so enmeshed he wasn’t sure how to even categorize what they meant to each other anymore.

“What time is it?” Kendall asks with a yawn and Logan checks his phone.

“Little after 10:30”

“Damn, I don’t think I’m gonna make it to midnight” he laughs and stretches, pressing into Logan’s side. A little painfully, honestly.

“Wanna turn in?” Logan’s never cared that much about New Year’s Eve. Ever since the first time he watched that light ball make its slow, slow, slooowww descent down its pole he felt it was something of a letdown “It’s not like the ball’s gonna drop any different this year than any other year”

“We gotta stay up, it’s tradition”

“We also gotta rest these old ass bones, doctor’s orders after all”

“I don’t think that’s quite what she said” Kendall retorts with a rueful smile.

“In so many words” Logan sighs. Then playfully nudges Kendall with a smirk. “And don’t forget, I’m something of a doctor myself”

Kendall chuckles at that “Only in the fanfics my dude”

“Close enough. Come on let’s get to bed” Logan shifts on the couch and lifts Kendall into a sitting position. Kendall frowns.

“Why the face?”

Kendall grumbles something as Logan stands up and stretches as well.

“Hmm?” He asks, looking down at him.

“We have to do our midnight kiss” Kendall says indignantly. “You know? At midnight you’re supposed to be doing something that you wanna spend the rest of the year doing”

“Where’d you hear that? I’m pretty sure people just kiss to celebrate randomly”

“Traditions aren’t random dude, they do it for a reason. That’s how the magic works”

Logan smiles and cups Kendall’s face in his hands “Ok then. At midnight we can be sleeping warm in our bed, side by side, right? How about we spend the year doing that?”

Kendall smiles softly, misty-eyed, and while Logan is being genuine, it’s still nice to know exactly how to work Kendall.

“Lead the way” he says, allowing Logan to pull him up from the couch.

Logan is asleep when midnight strikes and the new year begins, but he knows it will bring one thing for certain: Kendall Schmidt by his side.

A constant.

A fact he was more than achingly aware of as the two of them lay on the uncomfortable tiles of the Knight family home, on the stoop just outside of Kendall’s second-story window above the garage, staring up at the swirling clouds, waiting for the first snowfall of the winter season. 

“It’s got to be tonight!” Logan hissed, for the third time in about as many minutes, words half-assurance and half-prayer. Eyes glued to the sky, fingers gripping into the gritty, fired clay. “Everything about the atmospheric conditions is perfect; The temperatures in the atmosphere and on the ground are well below zero. And there’s no doubt those clouds are packed with plenty of vapors ready to freeze and drop to the Earth at any moment!”

Breath coming out in little huffs, condensating with every syllable coming off his lips, his science lecture continued, and Kendall clung to every word of it. 

That kind of talk had driven Carlos and James off hours ago, after their friends muttered something about how much more interesting their early Christmas present of Biohazard Blast 3 would be to play instead of staying perched on the roof all night. 

Their departure had done nothing but heighten Kendall’s anxiety, a fact the blonde boy wouldn’t ignore as his heart pulsed in his chest, providing more than enough warmth to bloom across his skin to keep him safe from the cold temperatures. It didn’t matter how many years he’d been in love with his best friend; the jitters always popped up when they were around each other, nerves he couldn’t contain no matter how hard he tried. 

Kendall’s breathing stuttered as Logan continued, hidden in the act of taking in a deep breath as his lungs burned at the intake of the frigid air. 

Were our hands always so close?

If he just reached out his pinky - just a few inches - he could take Logan’s hand and interlace their fingers. Even that little gesture would be better than anything wrapped under the tree down in the living room. To see the way Logan’s cheeks would redden, if he’d gasp, if he’d squeeze their palms together tighter, if he’d forget about his snow-related rantings…

But Kendall refrained; he always did. And would continue to, until Logan sent him some sort of sign he felt the same way. 

“It’ll come, don’t worry,” was all Kendall could offer in terms of reassurance, especially when his own brain was as cloudy as the sky above them. 

Making a move was far too great a risk, especially when the rewards of their friendship should have been more than enough to last him hundreds of lifetimes over. The way they confidently strode through the school halls together with James and Carlos, their unbeatable combination plays on the ice, nights like these - simply hanging out together and forgetting about the rest of the world for a while…

Asking for more was just greedy in a way Kendall Knight was not. 

Logan sighed, knocking the other boy from his thoughts as he bundled deeper into his puffer jacket. “The last time I had a non-white Christmas was back in Texas… And it totally sucked, like, astronomically.” He shook his head, as if that would rid the bad memory from his mind, and Kendall took that as a sign not to pry. Tonight was supposed to be all about fun and ushering in the holiday season with the first snowfall, not digging up old crap they’d be better off forgetting. “But all my Christmases since moving here have been far more fun - mostly due to the weather.”

“Considering I can’t remember a year where it didn’t snow on Christmas, I’m pretty sure we’ll be safe.” As a Minnesota native, Kendall figured that was a solid promise.

“I know, I know… I’m just ready for us to get a jump start on all our normal winter activities!” Logan expertly switched the topic, veering away from the source of his anguish to something he held onto fondly. “Snow means the lakes will freeze over, and we’ll be able to go skate out there. Snowball fights in the park, too! And cruise around looking at lights… Augh.” He dug the heels of his palms into his eyes and rubbed them a few times. “I need it, like, now!”

When his hands made it back to the tile, Kendall swore he could feel the heat radiating off of his skin. 

Did he do that on purpose?

“You’re not-” Kendall immediately felt his voice crack and attempted to cover it with a poorly timed cough. “You’re not going to be sad school’s over?”

Turning his head Kendall’s way, finally, Logan’s brown eyes narrowed as their gazes met. 

Able to take only about half a second’s worth of eye contact, Kendall turned back to the sky.

“Just because you call me a nerd doesn’t mean I enjoy school all the time… If anything, I’m looking forward to not doing your homework for a change!”

A fist met Kendall’s shoulder, shielded by the three layers of long-sleeved shirts, flannels, and winter coats. “W-what?”

He was so careful about the times he asked to lean on Logan - had he been doing it too much last semester? Did Logan think he was just another hockey head using him to keep his grades up to remain on the team?

“Relax, man, I’m only joking.” Kendall was able to release the breath trapped inside his burning lungs at Logan’s admission. “Besides, I’m more than happy to lend you a hand when needed. It’s good to know you can rely on me the same way I rely on you.”

Kendall nearly rolled off the roof to avoid thinking about the other boy’s words too much, and there was a small lull in the conversation, but it didn’t carry the same uncomfortable weight it would if he were speaking to anyone else. Even among James and Carlos, that awkward silence could be such a killer, but Logan just took a breath, watching his breath condensate in the frigid air as they both considered what to say next. 

Tapping his fingers on the tiles now, because Jesus just one more centimeter and he’d grip Logan’s hand so tight he might never let him go, Kendall managed, “What other things do you like about this time of year? Besides the ‘normal’ stuff?”

“I like that the Earth’s hemisphere tilts away from the sun, leaving the sunlight of the days shorter and the nights longer.” The shuffling sound of his jacket stood out sharply from the quiet, natural background ambiance the outskirts of Duluth provided, making Kendall jump. Logan was on his side now, one hand on his cheek as he looked over the boy beside him. “Long winter nights can serve as great excuses to get up to no good.”

The sides of their coats were smushed together now, Logan’s leg easily sidled up to Kendall’s in a way that left his lungs gulping for air. “Like prank calling the radio station and asking them to dedicate a song to Hugh Janus and Allota Fagina?”

Laughing, Logan ducked his head with shaking shoulders. “Not quite what I meant but… I can’t argue with that at all, man! They must have our numbers on a do-not-answer list by now!”

Kendall’s own joy bubbled up this throat, just at the sight of Logan’s smile against the streetlights. With the tension in his chest easing, it was far easier to think of his favorite winter traditions as well. What others usually did with their families - picking out a Christmas tree, wrapping presents, baking extravagant holiday meals - was second nature for Kendall to complete with Carlos, James, and Logan in tow. 

Mrs. K always needed the four of them to help get the tree in the house, no matter how much mud and how many pine needles they tracked through her entryway. The boys sought out Katie for their shopping trips every year to ensure they snagged all of their gifts at a low price, and needed her little fingers to help hold down the ribbons for the bows adorning their gifts. The delicious scent of a kitchen bursting with all manner of aromas, filled with everyone in their pajamas on Christmas day as they helped prepare the heaping feast shared across four families. 

And at the center of it all, Logan. Perfectly calculating the best angle to push the tree through the door. Helping the other three boys budget their allowance and skimpy paychecks in the months leading up to December. Waving the copies of the recipes he printed out for everyone, so there was the smallest margin of error possible while cooking dinner.

Kendall’s chest squeezed again, his mouth straining to take in enough air to get any formation of sounds close enough to phonics to keep the conversation going, but Logan beat him to it. 

“Can I ask you a different question?” 

Nodding was just about the only action the blonde could take. 

Gaze pointed in Kendall’s direction again, still leaning with ease on that elbow, palm on cheek beside him, Logan glanced away as quickly as the clouds began to roll in from the west. “I drove off James and Carlos hours ago with all my science talk.”

Blinking, Kendall couldn’t tear his eyes away from the red sweeping over Logan’s nose, cheeks, and ears. From the cold…?

His own boldness shocked him as “That’s not a question,” slipped from his lips. 

Then came more of that chuckle, deep in the back of Logan’s throat. The one he loved the most. The one he’d replay in his mind for hours after they’d hung out for the day, when he was alone, staring at the ceiling in his bedroom, wishing he’d done something about these feelings he’d harbored for his best friend.

“Right…” A pause. Not usual for the genius boy who had something to say about everything. “Well. What I’ve been meaning to ask - wanting to ask more accurately - is… I’ve set up this nice scene for us, the winter backdrop on a perfectly cold night, brought up our favorite traditions, all but told you outright my holidays are always better with you around, so…” Logan hid his face behind his free hand, feigning like he was clearing his throat as Kendall’s eyes widened, mind racing as he took in just what his friend was trying to tell him. “Why haven’t you kissed me?” 

If instinct hadn’t taken over, one hand cupping the back of Logan’s neck and pulling him down, Kendall’s answer would have been verbal, but he figured giving the other boy what he was asking for was a far better reply. 

One, two, three, four, five kisses, then it became too many to count by the time Logan rolled over farther, hitching his leg around Kendall’s hips. A whole mess of hands running through hair, teeth accidentally scraping together as their hurried movements didn’t quite match in their desperation to just be closer.

By the time Logan pulled away, Kendall was sure the flush wasn’t from the weather, not in the slightest. It took everything in him not to grab those rosy cheeks and pull his glistening lips back to slot against his own, but Logan looked so perfect above him, chest heaving and eyes blown wide. 

And… “Look!” 

Following the blonde’s finger, Logan’s head snapped to see behind him - Just in time to see the first of the fattest, whitest snowflakes Minnesota had ever seen begin to fall from the clouds. 

A fact he was more than achingly aware of as the two of them lay on the uncomfortable tiles of the Knight family home, on the stoop just outside of Kendall’s second-story window above the garage, staring up at the swirling clouds, waiting for the first snowfall of the winter season. 

“It’s got to be tonight!” Logan hissed, for the third time in about as many minutes, words half-assurance and half-prayer. Eyes glued to the sky, fingers gripping into the gritty, fired clay. “Everything about the atmospheric conditions is perfect; The temperatures in the atmosphere and on the ground are well below zero. And there’s no doubt those clouds are packed with plenty of vapors ready to freeze and drop to the Earth at any moment!”

Breath coming out in little huffs, condensating with every syllable coming off his lips, his science lecture continued, and Kendall clung to every word of it. 

That kind of talk had driven Carlos and James off hours ago, after their friends muttered something about how much more interesting their early Christmas present of Biohazard Blast 3 would be to play instead of staying perched on the roof all night. 

Their departure had done nothing but heighten Kendall’s anxiety, a fact the blonde boy wouldn’t ignore as his heart pulsed in his chest, providing more than enough warmth to bloom across his skin to keep him safe from the cold temperatures. It didn’t matter how many years he’d been in love with his best friend; the jitters always popped up when they were around each other, nerves he couldn’t contain no matter how hard he tried. 

Kendall’s breathing stuttered as Logan continued, hidden in the act of taking in a deep breath as his lungs burned at the intake of the frigid air. 

Were our hands always so close?

If he just reached out his pinky - just a few inches - he could take Logan’s hand and interlace their fingers. Even that little gesture would be better than anything wrapped under the tree down in the living room. To see the way Logan’s cheeks would redden, if he’d gasp, if he’d squeeze their palms together tighter, if he’d forget about his snow-related rantings…

But Kendall refrained; he always did. And would continue to, until Logan sent him some sort of sign he felt the same way. 

“It’ll come, don’t worry,” was all Kendall could offer in terms of reassurance, especially when his own brain was as cloudy as the sky above them. 

Making a move was far too great a risk, especially when the rewards of their friendship should have been more than enough to last him hundreds of lifetimes over. The way they confidently strode through the school halls together with James and Carlos, their unbeatable combination plays on the ice, nights like these - simply hanging out together and forgetting about the rest of the world for a while…

Asking for more was just greedy in a way Kendall Knight was not. 

Logan sighed, knocking the other boy from his thoughts as he bundled deeper into his puffer jacket. “The last time I had a non-white Christmas was back in Texas… And it totally sucked, like, astronomically.” He shook his head, as if that would rid the bad memory from his mind, and Kendall took that as a sign not to pry. Tonight was supposed to be all about fun and ushering in the holiday season with the first snowfall, not digging up old crap they’d be better off forgetting. “But all my Christmases since moving here have been far more fun - mostly due to the weather.”

“Considering I can’t remember a year where it didn’t snow on Christmas, I’m pretty sure we’ll be safe.” As a Minnesota native, Kendall figured that was a solid promise.

“I know, I know… I’m just ready for us to get a jump start on all our normal winter activities!” Logan expertly switched the topic, veering away from the source of his anguish to something he held onto fondly. “Snow means the lakes will freeze over, and we’ll be able to go skate out there. Snowball fights in the park, too! And cruise around looking at lights… Augh.” He dug the heels of his palms into his eyes and rubbed them a few times. “I need it, like, now!”

When his hands made it back to the tile, Kendall swore he could feel the heat radiating off of his skin. 

Did he do that on purpose?

“You’re not-” Kendall immediately felt his voice crack and attempted to cover it with a poorly timed cough. “You’re not going to be sad school’s over?”

Turning his head Kendall’s way, finally, Logan’s brown eyes narrowed as their gazes met. 

Able to take only about half a second’s worth of eye contact, Kendall turned back to the sky.

“Just because you call me a nerd doesn’t mean I enjoy school all the time… If anything, I’m looking forward to not doing your homework for a change!”

A fist met Kendall’s shoulder, shielded by the three layers of long-sleeved shirts, flannels, and winter coats. “W-what?”

He was so careful about the times he asked to lean on Logan - had he been doing it too much last semester? Did Logan think he was just another hockey head using him to keep his grades up to remain on the team?

“Relax, man, I’m only joking.” Kendall was able to release the breath trapped inside his burning lungs at Logan’s admission. “Besides, I’m more than happy to lend you a hand when needed. It’s good to know you can rely on me the same way I rely on you.”

Kendall nearly rolled off the roof to avoid thinking about the other boy’s words too much, and there was a small lull in the conversation, but it didn’t carry the same uncomfortable weight it would if he were speaking to anyone else. Even among James and Carlos, that awkward silence could be such a killer, but Logan just took a breath, watching his breath condensate in the frigid air as they both considered what to say next. 

Tapping his fingers on the tiles now, because Jesus just one more centimeter and he’d grip Logan’s hand so tight he might never let him go, Kendall managed, “What other things do you like about this time of year? Besides the ‘normal’ stuff?”

“I like that the Earth’s hemisphere tilts away from the sun, leaving the sunlight of the days shorter and the nights longer.” The shuffling sound of his jacket stood out sharply from the quiet, natural background ambiance the outskirts of Duluth provided, making Kendall jump. Logan was on his side now, one hand on his cheek as he looked over the boy beside him. “Long winter nights can serve as great excuses to get up to no good.”

The sides of their coats were smushed together now, Logan’s leg easily sidled up to Kendall’s in a way that left his lungs gulping for air. “Like prank calling the radio station and asking them to dedicate a song to Hugh Janus and Allota Fagina?”

Laughing, Logan ducked his head with shaking shoulders. “Not quite what I meant but… I can’t argue with that at all, man! They must have our numbers on a do-not-answer list by now!”

Kendall’s own joy bubbled up this throat, just at the sight of Logan’s smile against the streetlights. With the tension in his chest easing, it was far easier to think of his favorite winter traditions as well. What others usually did with their families - picking out a Christmas tree, wrapping presents, baking extravagant holiday meals - was second nature for Kendall to complete with Carlos, James, and Logan in tow. 

Mrs. K always needed the four of them to help get the tree in the house, no matter how much mud and how many pine needles they tracked through her entryway. The boys sought out Katie for their shopping trips every year to ensure they snagged all of their gifts at a low price, and needed her little fingers to help hold down the ribbons for the bows adorning their gifts. The delicious scent of a kitchen bursting with all manner of aromas, filled with everyone in their pajamas on Christmas day as they helped prepare the heaping feast shared across four families. 

And at the center of it all, Logan. Perfectly calculating the best angle to push the tree through the door. Helping the other three boys budget their allowance and skimpy paychecks in the months leading up to December. Waving the copies of the recipes he printed out for everyone, so there was the smallest margin of error possible while cooking dinner.

Kendall’s chest squeezed again, his mouth straining to take in enough air to get any formation of sounds close enough to phonics to keep the conversation going, but Logan beat him to it. 

“Can I ask you a different question?” 

Nodding was just about the only action the blonde could take. 

Gaze pointed in Kendall’s direction again, still leaning with ease on that elbow, palm on cheek beside him, Logan glanced away as quickly as the clouds began to roll in from the west. “I drove off James and Carlos hours ago with all my science talk.”

Blinking, Kendall couldn’t tear his eyes away from the red sweeping over Logan’s nose, cheeks, and ears. From the cold…?

His own boldness shocked him as “That’s not a question,” slipped from his lips. 

Then came more of that chuckle, deep in the back of Logan’s throat. The one he loved the most. The one he’d replay in his mind for hours after they’d hung out for the day, when he was alone, staring at the ceiling in his bedroom, wishing he’d done something about these feelings he’d harbored for his best friend.

“Right…” A pause. Not usual for the genius boy who had something to say about everything. “Well. What I’ve been meaning to ask - wanting to ask more accurately - is… I’ve set up this nice scene for us, the winter backdrop on a perfectly cold night, brought up our favorite traditions, all but told you outright my holidays are always better with you around, so…” Logan hid his face behind his free hand, feigning like he was clearing his throat as Kendall’s eyes widened, mind racing as he took in just what his friend was trying to tell him. “Why haven’t you kissed me?” 

If instinct hadn’t taken over, one hand cupping the back of Logan’s neck and pulling him down, Kendall’s answer would have been verbal, but he figured giving the other boy what he was asking for was a far better reply. 

One, two, three, four, five kisses, then it became too many to count by the time Logan rolled over farther, hitching his leg around Kendall’s hips. A whole mess of hands running through hair, teeth accidentally scraping together as their hurried movements didn’t quite match in their desperation to just be closer.

By the time Logan pulled away, Kendall was sure the flush wasn’t from the weather, not in the slightest. It took everything in him not to grab those rosy cheeks and pull his glistening lips back to slot against his own, but Logan looked so perfect above him, chest heaving and eyes blown wide. 

And… “Look!” 

Following the blonde’s finger, Logan’s head snapped to see behind him - Just in time to see the first of the fattest, whitest snowflakes Minnesota had ever seen begin to fall from the clouds. 

Only in a BTR Christmas special can you get:

• a scene where a man's near-death is met with this reaction

• one of the characters getting hit by Snoop Dogg's limo

• that same character breaking both his femurs and recovering fully within the span of a few hours

• an Alvin and the Chipmunks tribute in the form of the four main characters as animated squirrels

• all of the absolute nonsense somehow wrapping up with a heartwarming scene

Kendall pep talks: One, sort of. Just that little moment where he tells everyone they should record the Christmas EP because it'll be nice to give their fans a Christmas gift. A micro-pep talk, if you will.

It was a well-known fact that Kendall was a strict enforcer of the gang’s various codes. (Honestly, it was a heroic task in itself to keep track of all the codes the group of friends had because they were constantly evolving and new codes were coming up as they grew.) But there was one code that he was the strictest enforcer on, and it was the code involving his beloved sister Kaelyn.

That particular code came in when they all reached the ages of puberty and started experiencing crushes. And Kendall noticed the way James looked at Kaelyn one time. So, it was safe to assume the existence of that particular code was 100% James’ fault.

But it didn’t stop James from doing something that has become somewhat of a running gag over the years. It didn’t stop James from trying to get Kaelyn under the mistletoe.

However, it would take a considerable amount of time for success to be achieved.

--

First Attempt: 13 Years Old

The snow was falling in Minnesota, which meant the winter holidays were well and truly on their way. It also marked the very first time James would attempt to get Kaelyn under the mistletoe.

The plan was simple enough. Have Kaelyn meet him at a part of the school where they could be alone and there would just happen to be a sprig of mistletoe over where they would end up standing. It was certainly a good plan in theory. It was private. He knew (or at least strongly hoped) that Kaelyn would be receptive.

But it was as stated. It was a plan that sounded good in theory. However, it was ultimately something that did not work out in execution.

Something that was said repeatedly about James was that he always got the girl. Even when he wasn’t trying. (Although, some people could note with irony that James could get every girl except the one he truly wanted.) It was something that frustrated their friends – especially since they started expressing an interest in dating.

And this was something that was going to destroy James’ first attempt to get Kaelyn under the mistletoe.

Especially when Jessica Rollins happened to walk by.

“Oh, hello, James!” she simpered.

It took a heroic effort to suppress the dismayed groan that was bubbling within James’ chest. Jessica was… certainly not the type of girl James went for. But acting alongside her in the spring drama production where they had to play love interests made her convinced they would be taking their supposed onstage chemistry offstage. No matter how much James tried to tell her otherwise, from letting her down gently to telling her firmly.

But Jessica was an airhead who could not take even the most obvious of hints. And that was the politest term James could use to describe her. (Some of his hockey friends were able to provide more colourful descriptors, however. The type that would make Mama Knight look at him with a disapproval that never failed to hit deep.)

“Jessica, now really isn’t a good time,” James told her urgently. He was trying to peak around the corner, watching for signs of Kaelyn.

“Oh, but sweetie, don’t you know we’re together now?” Jessica smirked.

James rolled his eyes. “Jessica, we are not together. What we had was just for the play.”

“Oh, but you can’t fight fate, James. Especially since… there’s mistletoe,” Jessica smirked.

James looked up and found to his dismay that he did find himself standing under the mistletoe he hung up. He was just trying to back away from Jessica as she kept advancing towards him. Jessica being tenacious would be a good thing… if she put that tenacity to good use rather than constantly pursuing someone who did not want her.

“No, Jessica. No,” James told her firmly. “No, we are not doing that. This mistletoe is for someone else.”

“Aw, come on, James. Just one kiss,” Jessica pouted.

“James?”

“Thank God,” James muttered under his breath. Something he really loved about Kaelyn was her uncanny knack for great timing.

Kaelyn frowned when she saw James scrambling towards her. “Hey, weren’t we going to meet over…?”

“I think let’s go somewhere else. The lighting here does nothing for my angles,” James quickly said.

Kaelyn was about to question why James was suddenly eager to get away. Then, she heard Jessica’s voice and joined James in his quickened pace.

Meanwhile, James was cursing his bad luck.

--

Second Attempt: 14 Years Old

It would be wrong to say that James was planning to go all out in his second attempt to get Kaelyn under the mistletoe. He didn’t do anything too obvious, if only because he didn’t want Kendall catching on.

But this attempt was going to go as well as his first: very badly. For the worst reasons.

“James!”

James winced at the sound of his mother’s voice calling for him. But it wasn’t the typical wince of a teenage boy wanting to do something and being annoyed at his mother’s interruption. He knew every tone of his mother’s voice by now. He knew when he was walking into a scolding. He knew when he was going to be told he was going to be doing something he ordinarily wouldn’t choose for himself. (Not asked. Told. Because nobody said no to Brooke Diamond.)

But this tone… this tone meant bad news was coming his way.

“Mum!” James raced into the living room where she was. “What is it? Are you okay?”

“James…,” Brooke began, “I’m afraid I have bad news.”

James noticed Brooke’s wordless gesture for him to take a seat, and he did. His mind was going a million miles an hour. Was it his mum? Was it one of his grandparents? He knew it wouldn’t be about his dad. His parents hadn’t talked since their divorce and his father’s remarriage to a woman fifteen years younger, resulting in James being used as a messenger between his parents. If something was wrong with James’ father, someone else would be telling him.

“Um… Mrs. Knight called me,” Brooke told him. “You know how Kendall and Kaelyn were away from school today?”

James nodded. Kendall had sent a very brief but tense text that morning to him, Carlos and Logan saying he and Kaelyn wouldn’t be at school. So, their three friends made arrangements among themselves to collect their classwork from their teachers – especially since they all shared at minimum one class with each Knight twin.

In fact, it indirectly led to James’ next plan to get Kaelyn under the mistletoe. He was going to appear at her window with mistletoe and let things unfold naturally.

“Mum…,” James prompted, noticing his mother had gone silent. “What’s wrong with them? Is it Kendall? Kaelyn? Katie? Mrs. Knight? What is it?”

Brooke took a deep breath to steel herself before finally telling James, “They ran some tests on Kaelyn and… James, Kaelyn has cancer.”

Even though James was already sitting, he felt as though his legs were giving out underneath him. He felt as though someone was reaching into his chest and squeezing his heart in the most painful way. Over the buzzing that had suddenly appeared in his ears, he heard his mother explain more about Kaelyn’s cancer diagnosis. Classic Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Something about the stage she was at. Making plans for her treatment.

But what he heard loud and clear was that Kaelyn was going to have to spend Christmas in the hospital. Putting a halt to any plan James could put together to get Kaelyn under the mistletoe. Not that James cared about that. He just wanted his best friend to beat this disease.

Hence, James’ latest plan to get Kaelyn under the mistletoe was thwarted before it could even get off the ground.

--

Third Attempt: 16 Years Old

It would take two years for James to be able to attempt getting Kaelyn under the mistletoe. As his mother had warned him, Kaelyn did end up having to spend that Christmas in the hospital. Then the following year, Kaelyn was under isolation because of her compromised health.

But this year… James was determined to get Kaelyn under the mistletoe. Especially since they were now more than best friends. They were something more. Everything more. The only downside was them being everything more was a secret. Arguably one of the worst kept secrets in the Palm Woods. But Kendall remained in the dark, so as far as everyone was concerned, that was a win. James wanted to stay pretty where possible.

In addition, they were no longer in Minnesota. Although they were making plans to return for the holidays. At the beginning of the year, they found themselves in the amphitheatre near their hometown auditioning before legendary music producer Gustavo Rocque (who was as famous for his temper as he was for the mega hits he produced). They were now a boyband. They were in Hollywood.

So, with all the luck they’ve been having since coming to Hollywood, James figured his chances were high.

This first Californian attempt to get Kaelyn under the mistletoe was a spur-of-the-moment decision. James, Carlos and Logan were being the greatest friends by getting Jett Stetson (the annoying co-star of Kendall’s girlfriend Jo Taylor) out of the way with their hockey prowess so Kendall could have a moment with his girlfriend before she returned to North Carolina for the holidays. Jo’s gift was a hockey stick wrapped in wrapping paper, with a sprig of mistletoe tied to the blade.

After Kendall had his moment with Jo, the Jennifers entered the lobby. Carlos immediately snatched the hockey stick and held it over the Jennifers. Initially, the Jennifers rebuffed him, as they often did. Then, they changed their minds in the spirit of Christmas and gave him kisses on the cheek. Carlos was floating on cloud nine.

Then, James decided to try his luck. He took the hockey stick from Carlos and stood in front of the elevator, asking coyly who the lucky lady was going to be.

Kendall was quick to fire back, “Anyone who’s not my sister.” Which promptly earned him a gentle slap on the arm from Jo.

James quickly stowed away his phone, hiding the fact that he was trying to have Kaelyn conveniently come down to meet them in the lobby to help them get their Christmas loot back to the apartment. Kendall couldn’t get too mad over a kiss on the cheek under the mistletoe, could he?

But James quickly found that the third time would not be the charm for him. He would gladly have taken Kaelyn being in the elevator or even an empty elevator. After all, he came up with this plan on the fly. He could make any needed adjustments on the fly too.

James found none of these things. Instead, he found an elevator filled with teenage girls. It was clear they were going to go to the lobby for one reason or another. But all of those plans were forgotten when they saw James holding the hockey stick with the mistletoe.

“Mistletoe!”

James could only scream in horror as he was pulled into the elevator car. The force of the pull nearly forced him to the ground, but the girls were determined to hold him upright so they could get their fair share of mistletoe kisses.

By the time James got up to his level, he was a stumbling, lipstick-covered mess struggling to stay upright. The hockey stick was broken beyond repair by the overly eager girls. (James was already making mental notes to arrange a replacement for Kendall ASAP. It was the least he could do.)

Needless to say, James nearly fell to his knees as he stumbled into Apartment 2J. His hair was dishevelled. His clothes were torn. The others looked at him in a mixture of confusion, sympathy and amusement.

“Mistletoe… bad!” James shuddered before faceplanting to the ground.

So, James was all kissed out. Meaning he had no energy to even try to accept a kiss on the cheek from Kaelyn under the now destroyed mistletoe.

‘Darn it!’ James cursed in his head.

--

Fourth Attempt: 16 Years Old

Nobody could believe what Griffin had sprung on them at what was quite literally the eleventh hour. They had gone to Rocque Records to give Gustavo his special gift and do a final debrief before leaving for the holidays. (Gustavo was very excited about going to Fiji for the holidays.) Then, Griffin appeared. Telling them that he had decided to release a Big Time Rush Christmas EP. Initially, Kelly thought it would simply be releasing extended mixes in some Christmas packaging.

But then Griffin said he wanted Christmas songs in Christmas packaging. Knowing full well that Big Time Rush had no Christmas songs recorded. He then decreed that nobody would be allowed to leave until he got his three Christmas songs. Saying something about a Christmas miracle.

Gustavo and Kaelyn were in a bit of a panic, struggling to come up with the first Christmas track. The boys were simply sitting there playing games on their phone, having been told firmly by Gustavo to stay out of his way, but not being allowed to leave per Griffin’s orders.

For the boys, the solution was simple. To be able to write a Christmas song, they needed to be in the Christmas spirit. So, the teens all got dressed in their PJs (per their tradition) and moved to ‘borrow’ Christmas decorations from other offices in the building so they could decorate Rocque Records.

It certainly worked, because Gustavo and Kaelyn had already come up with a melody and the first verse by the time the boys were coming back with the second lot of decorations they were appropriating.

Kaelyn was able to go on this round of ‘borrowing’ Christmas decorations from the other offices in the building. There were still a couple of things needed to really liven the place up and Gustavo needed space to do some arranging. (Since Kaelyn wrote the bulk of the lyrics and the melody, Gustavo insisted on taking care of the arranging and instrumentation.) She and James found themselves in a tech company’s office taking some Christmas wreaths. They had done a great job with their haul so far. They’d gotten a tree, a fake fireplace, a new couch that was much cozier, and a bowl of candy canes. But the place still didn’t feel Christmassy enough.

James almost did a cheer when he saw a sprig of mistletoe in the corner. He had heard some questionable things about this particular company thanks to some whispers from Kelly and some other people he met in the building. So, he wasn’t exactly surprised to see the sprig of mistletoe when workplaces typically avoid having them. (His mother’s efforts to groom him to take over her cosmetics company had him surprisingly well-versed in several HR issues and how to avoid them.)

But in this case, James was deciding that this would make the perfect impromptu opportunity to see if he could try his luck. There was nobody around. No chance of any interruptions. And opportunities like this come once in a lifetime.

“Hey, bunny,” James began coyly, “look what I found.”

Kaelyn followed James’ voice from where she was taking off the wreath. Initially, she was confused. There didn’t seem to be anything remotely Christmassy that they could take back to Rocque Records. Then, she looked up and saw the mistletoe over James.

“I don’t think Gustavo would be happy if we brought back mistletoe,” Kaelyn said with a laugh.

“Who said it was for Gustavo?” James smirked.

“Fair point,” Kaelyn smiled.

Kaelyn walked over to where James was standing, wreath momentarily forgotten. The moment in itself wasn’t startling or something for her to be nervous about. But actually standing under the mistletoe with James still caused her heart to flutter. Her breath to catch in her throat. When she reached to place her hand in James’, she noticed a slight tremor that wasn’t usually present. James must have noticed (he always did) because he began rubbing the back of her hands with his thumbs. A gesture of comfort.

They were so close. This was the closest they had ever been to being able to kiss under the mistletoe. (Because Kaelyn had certainly caught onto James’ earlier plots to get Kaelyn under the mistletoe.) And it appeared that it was finally happening. She was even reaching up as James leaned down to finally initiate that kiss.

Then, they heard a crash and cries for help. James and Kaelyn froze before their lips could touch. James was silently cursing the universe for its horrible timing.

Still, he tried to ask, “Would we be bad friends if we didn’t rush over to help right this second?”

“It wouldn’t be very Christmassy,” Kaelyn sighed.

There were sometimes when James loved how nice Kaelyn was, and the devil on his shoulder was telling him this was not one of those times.

--

Fifth Attempt: 16 Years Old

They should have known that Griffin wouldn’t have been agreeable to a compromise. Given how much he loved the song Beautiful Christmas, they hoped he would be willing to compromise to a Christmas single and let them go for the holidays. The teens could go to Minnesota and Gustavo could go to Fiji. But Griffin wouldn’t let up on his demands. In fact, he added to them.

Now, Big Time Rush had to make the final two songs on their Christmas EP celebrity duets.

It was a series of Christmas miracles that led to them finding their first celebrity to sing with. Miranda Cosgrove was filming a holiday special live in Los Angeles. And it took a lot of manipulating for the group to convince Miranda to let them sing with her instead of Fabio. (Something Fabio did not have a problem with. Even he admits he can’t sing.) Now, they were getting ready to perform.

The sketch was simple. Fabio would still have a role, playing a pizza delivery driver who got stuck in the snow. When Miranda asked him how he got out, that was when Fabio would introduce Big Time Rush as the people who rescued him. Then, Miranda would invite them to perform a song with her. The guys did nothing to suppress their groans and eyerolls when they found out they would be singing a cover of Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas.

It had to be Kaelyn’s all-time favourite Christmas song, didn’t it? (At least when she wasn’t aiming to annoy Gustavo with Yard Squirrel Christmas.)

But for now, James didn’t care about that. He had to get into the zone for his performance. And that included getting dressed in winter gear.

“Don’t fuss. I just got this collar right,” Kaelyn rebuked him.

“Sorry,” James muttered. “We just need to get this right or Griffin won’t let us go home for Christmas. And I… I know how much you want this Christmas to be perfect.”

Kaelyn tried to play it off by saying, “It is what it is,” but James knew better. He knew her better. James knew how much Kaelyn struggled the last two years, being diagnosed with cancer so close to Christmas, having to spend that first Christmas post-diagnosis in the hospital, then having to spend the previous Christmas in isolation. She was just starting to get back to normal life when they ended up in L.A. So, when Christmas started coming up, Kaelyn was excited. She was looking forward to the White Christmas. Being able to play in the snow. Everything that came with a White Christmas in Minnesota.

James felt the words die in his mouth. If he was being honest, he didn’t know if there were words he could say. It’s not like he could make any promises. Griffin could spring even more last-minute demands on them that would prevent them from going home for Christmas. And they still had to find one more celebrity to sing with. At a time when many of these celebrities either didn’t know who they were or were too busy to help.

“Okay,” Kaelyn sighed, doing one last adjustment of James’ scarf. “You’re ready to go and so are the others.”

James smiled in gratitude and allowed Kaelyn to guide him to where the guys were waiting for their cue. They still had two minutes until the live broadcast resumed. James stopped Kaelyn, though, before she could walk him any further.

“Hey. Everything okay?” Kaelyn asked worriedly. “You’re not… you’re not nervous, are you?” She didn’t know why she asked that. James Diamond never got nervous.

James smiled in a way that calmed Kaelyn’s concern. Then, he pointed upwards, and what Kaelyn saw made her laugh.

What was it with mistletoes appearing out of nowhere?

Kaelyn laughed. “You do know you have to be ready to perform in less than two minutes, right?”

“Then, we better not waste any time,” James smirked.

This was definitely not something James deliberately planned, but he would certainly have been a fool to not take advantage of what fate seemed to be serving him on a silver platter. He wrapped his arm around Kaelyn’s waist and pulled her against his solid chest. Kaelyn followed along willingly with a smile that James wanted to kiss more than anything.

But the problem with this opportunity that fate seemed to be presenting was a limited time opportunity. And James didn’t even realize that he had run out the clock.

“Places, everybody! Places!”

Kaelyn sighed dejectedly, “Maybe another time.”

As James followed Kaelyn to where he needed to be, he wondered if there was at least one Christmas miracle that could be spared to give him and Kaelyn that kiss under the mistletoe.

--

The Successful Attempt

For a little while, it looked like they had indeed run out of Christmas miracles.

They did indeed get another Christmas miracle by getting Snoop Dogg as their final celebrity duet. (Unfortunately, it was because Gustavo got run over by Snoop Dogg’s limo. Well, technically it was his grandma’s limo, but semantics.) They had done their own remix of the classic Christmas carol, Twelve Days of Christmas. Then, Griffin revealed that Justin Bieber had done a similar track with 50 Cent – a track that ran an obscene length of time – and said that he now expected Big Time Rush and Snoop Dogg to produce a bonus track for their Christmas EP.

After a lengthy panic (mainly brought on by Snoop Dogg saying he had to be at his grandma’s house in fifteen minutes), Gustavo reluctantly decided to do a Yard Squirrel Christmas-style song based around the teens’ holiday tradition of wearing their pyjamas all day. Griffin finally agreed to let them go and they made a mad dash to the Palm Woods to get their stuff (along with Katie and Mrs Knight) and race to the airport.

Then, they saw the news report saying all airports in the Midwest were closed due to massive snowstorms. So, nobody was flying in and out of Minnesota. Meaning Big Time Rush were stuck at the Palm Woods for Christmas.

But thanks to Katie’s motivation after spending the day watching Mr. Bitters be miserable about the holiday, they decided to make the most out of their first Californian Christmas. They decorated the Palm Woods lobby and gave Mr. Bitters a whole bunch of Christmas gifts to cheer him up. This included the boys giving him a rockstar nutcracker they happened to find during a massive Christmas sale, and Katie deciding to give him the headphones her mother had originally bought for her.

What made it even better for the group was Gustavo and Kelly coming over in their pyjamas bearing their own gifts: a fully catered Christmas meal. Turkey. Ham. Christmas pudding. Everything one would expect to find on a Christmas table.

“Hey. You okay, bunny?” James asked worriedly. Kaelyn had moved out to the pool area while everyone was checking out their Christmas presents before dessert.

“Yeah. I just… I just needed to breathe,” Kaelyn sighed.

James understood. She did need to take moments herself sometimes at big events like this. And the last 24 hours had been chaotic to say the least.

“I know it’s not the White Christmas you were looking forward to, but you have to admit. This has been a pretty good Christmas,” James quipped.

Kaelyn nodded in agreement, “This has definitely been the best Christmas I’ve had for a while. And while it would’ve been nice to have the snow, I’m with my family. I’m with my friends. And that’s more than most people get.”

“Well, I know one way to make it better,” James smirked, coming over to wrap an arm around her waist.

Kaelyn looked up without any prompting from James. She laughed when she saw the mistletoe that was looming over them.

“What? Do you just go around planting mistletoe where I’m likely to be hoping we’ll be under it?” Kaelyn teased.

“I’ll never tell,” was James’ (somewhat disarming) answer.

Kaelyn shook her head as she continued laughing. That sounded exactly like something James would do. He was known for his own schemes, and they were conducted to varying degrees of success. However, both James and Kaelyn (affectionately known as ‘Jaelyn’ by some fans who had decided to start shipping them after spotting Kaelyn at some shows and in music videos) were quick to deem this scheme a resounding success.

“So, fox, are you going to kiss me under the mistletoe?” Kaelyn smirked.