Hey guys I know this is a little late but it's the Christmas one requested by the dear elder_bitch

Kevin's POV

I sigh into my hands, finally able to express my true emotions now that I'm alone in my room. Arnold is out buying gifts with his girlfriend Nabalungi, so I don't need to worry about my mission companion barging in.

It's my first Christmas here in Uganda, my first Christmas without my family and stuck in a desolate mud hut. It's also my first Christmas preaching the Book of Arnold. So many things are different from my normal family Christmas.

I lie back on my bed, checking my watch. 9:45. It's earlier than normal, but who cares? I've done all my wrapping. Luckily we've decided to do Secret Santa this year, so I only had one present. My giftee (is that a word? it is now) is Connor McKinley. We'd started to call everyone by their first names because of the Book of Arnold. I'd taken a little bit to get his present, because I've been spending lots of attention to everything he says so I can get him something he'll really like. But... I would have payed lots of attention to everything he says anyway. He's... different from everyone else here. He's sweet with an edge and smart and caring... And I get a little bit warm inside my chest whenever I think of him.

I sigh again and turn off the lights. I can't think of this right now, the night of December 23rd. Tomorrow is December 24th, and tomorrow is when we exchange Secret Santa gifts so they're special from our family gifts on Christmas morning. I can't deal with the nerves I'm getting from thinking of giving Connor a gift... nope. Night time. Bye bye thoughts.

~~~*Time skip brought by me wishing I was on broadway but knowing I can't be cause I have a slightly mediocre voice*~~~

"Does everyone have their gifts?" Chris calls out.

"WHeRe iS mY gIfT?!" Arnold screams.

"Check under your bed!" James calls.

"Found it!" 

"Everyone sit next to the tree!" Connor says, and we all gather around the sparse branch heavily decorated with ornaments. I hold my small present in my arms and hide it with my sleeve, watching the other elders do the same. 

"Put your present in a pile and don't watch what are others are putting down," Connor says, seeing that this clearly isn't the best plan. 

I slide my gift under a brightly decorated green box. 

"Okay... who's going first?"

"I'll go first," Isaac Michaels (I made up all the first names except for Price, McKinley, Cunningham, Poptart, and Church sorry)  says, picking up the paper bag with a messily scrawled ISAAC on it. He reaches inside and pulls out a shirt, which he unfolds to find the words Every Book is Nifty. He grins and pulls it on over his neat white button down. "I love it!"

"Now guess who it is, and at the end everyone will reveal themselves!" Jonathan Neeley prompts.

"Um... Peter?" Isaac guesses. Peter Schrader just shrugs.

"Me next!" Chris cheers. He picks up the small purple and black box and tears it open greedily. I see James cast a small smile from the corner of my eye. 

"It's a poptart necklace!" Chris cheers. He laces it on and beams happily. "I think it's... James!"

James smiles mysteriously.

"Alright, me next," Connor says, and gingerly takes the small package I had tucked away. He admires the wrapping for a moment before ripping it open slowly with a finger. He pulls out the simple red feather design tie and grins. "It's awesome! Like a boa!"

I smile secretly. I'd heard him mention once that he used to have a red feather boa at home for the pride parades he used to secretly attend.

"Wow, I have no idea! Um... Chris?" Chris raises his eyebrows.

I take the present with my name, opening it to reveal red Mickey Mouse ears with a golden Kevin embroidered across in cursive. I gasp. "They're perfect!" I pull them excitedly onto my head, for once in my life laughing with pure happiness. "Thank you! Um... literally all of you know about my obsession with Disney... erm... Arnold?" Arnold giggles uncontrollably. 

We make our way around the circle, the most notable of the presents being the light up blue lightsaber someone gave Arnold, complete with sound effects that mixed in with Arnold making them himself as he play sword fought.

"Okay, time to reveal ourselves!" Connor says, clapping his hands.

"Who gave Isaac his gift?" James asks.

"I did!" Will Davis says, raising his hand with a smile.

"Thank you!" Isaac says, high fiving the other man's raised hand.

"Okay, who gave me mine?" Chris asks.

"Me!" James says, smirking.

"Thanks!" Chris says, happily fiddling with the pastry pendant. 

"Of course," James says, smiling gently.

"Me?" Connor asks, exchanging his blue tie for this new red patterned one. 

"I gave you that," I say softly, looking up into his enticing blue eyes. 

"Thank you so much, Kevin!" Connor says, giving me a quick hug. I immediately go as red as a tomato and can barely hug back before it's over. Chris, behind Connor, silently laughs at me. I flip him off behind Connor's back, earning gasps from the other elders. "It's perfect," he says, pulling away. 

"I'm glad you like it," I say before removing my Mickey Mouse ears. "And, uh, my ears?"

"That was me!" Connor says, grinning warmly. "Who knew we'd be gift buddies! Do you like them?"

"They're perfect," I say. "Thank you so much!"

"Of course!"

I grin. We go around the circle once again, and once we're done (sorry for the brief stuff but I can't right now) the elders gather in the kitchen to decorate the cookies Jonathan just baked.

I walk around before leaning against the doorway, examining the work on my Mickey Mouse ears and running my finger over the Disney tag. 

"I'm glad you like your present," a voice says. I look up and see Connor standing shyly across from me. 

"It's great, truly," I say, smirking back at him. Trying to slip a little of my normal suave Kevin in. "I'm glad you like yours too."

"I love it!" Connor says. "It's just like my boa at home- which is probably why you got it for me."

I nod.

"Boys-" James strolls out from the kitchen and stops when he sees the two of us talking in the doorway. "AhAHAhhAHHAHAHAh!!"

"What?!" Connor yells, confused. The rest of the elders join James, startled by the commotion, but quickly grin as well.

"Mistletoe!" James sings, pointing above us. I look up at the small sprig of green before burying my face into my hands. What a cliche. Of course I'm under mistletoe with my crush. It's like my life is being written by some crappy fanfiction author.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" The guys start to cheer, and I look over at Connor who's blushing furiously. Alright, I'll take the lead.

"Fine," I say, waving a hand at the elders. 

"It has to be at least ten seconds," Chris sings out.

"Since when was that a rule?" I ask, seeing as Connor is probably incapable of doing anything else except gaping right now. 

"Now," Chris says smugly. 

I roll my eyes and shrug my shoulders. "You ready Connor?"

"Ergh."

"Same," I mumble, just soft enough for him to hear. He looks at me with a different expression before I pull him up and kiss him firmly, closing my eyelids tightly. He flounders before wrapping his arms around my neck and running his thin fingers through my hair. I moan slightly hand hold him by the waist. I swear he smiles, pulling me closer.

"Guys, it's been fifteen seconds," Chris' voice rings from somewhere through a nearby tunnel. I keep my eyes tight closely and keep kissing Connor, my crush, passionately. I never want to stop-

"Alright!" James says, pushing between us. I stumble back as Connor does the same and looks at me. I wink, and he blushes desperately. "Enough! Enough public making out!"

"Not nearly," I mumble.

"You can make out later, but it's Christmas! Be normal!" James storms away, and Arnold comes over to us. "Let's watch Empire Strikes Back! Some of it takes place on Hoth, which is a snow planet! Snow for Christmas!" He takes my hand and pulls me over to the coch as the rest of the group joins us. I try to fix my hair as someone settles next to me. I look over and smile back at an already giddy Connor. He beams at me and laces his fingers through mine. I lean over and try to sneak in a quick temple kiss before Arnold pops the DVD in. Yeah, this was a pretty good Christmas gift. 

1481 words not too shabby my dudes

So sorry for the crappiness of this

Hope you had a merry Christmas if you celebrate it!

I kinda feel bad mentally which is probably why this was so bad. 

Btw I'm going to go on a vacation tomorrow so I'll try to write one for publishing later but there might be a day or two without writing or it might be even worse than normal 'cause I'll have to write it on my phone.

Anyway sorry for the super long a/n- requests are seeked (new past tense verb)! love ya!

-Em