A/N: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone! This is just a silly little bit of cheer. (:

Whips And Kisses: Part 1 (All four/ hints of Kogan/ Humor) Rated T

Kendall carefully took the stack of stoneware mixing bowls down from the shelf. The tip of his pink tongue protruded from the corner of his mouth as he concentrated on getting them to the counter top safely. Successfully done, he sighed and placed his hands on his hips. Where on earth were Logan and Carlos with those candies?

He wasn't exactly sure what he was creating, but it was going to be magnificent, nonetheless. In fact, it was going to be so magnificent that it would put Katie's gingerbread castle to shame.

"Castle fit for a Knight..." he murmured, scanning the cookbook for ideas. He couldn't help but smile at his sister's clever play on words.

He stopped at a glossy photo of a shortbread train. "Whoa!" he exclaimed, studying it closer. It was nothing short of a Carlow's Bakery confection. Each train car was a different color, and they were trimmed in red licorice whips and candy canes. One car was full of chocolate chip pieces to simulate coal, and the entire thing sparkled with sugar crystals! He grinned to himself. This was the one.

He whistled the tune of Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree as he scurried about the kitchen gathering the necessary ingredients. How perfect that he'd sent the guys out to get candies, because he was definitely going to need a boatload of them. Or should he say trainload Kendall asked himself, laughing at his own private joke, however cheesy it may be.

He was in high spirits, after all. This year he and the guys had their own apartment at the Palmwoods until they found a bigger place of their own, they had bought their first Christmas tree together, and everyone was going to be in awe when they saw his creation. He gathered the supplies into a heap and tied his mom's abandoned apron around his waist. He looked down at the white ruffles apprehensively while eying the door, then shrugged. So what if he was being a bit festive, they could tease him all they wanted, it couldn't bring him down tonight.

He turned on the radio and couldn't resist the urge to spin around a couple of times to Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree, now playing."Hey, that's weird, I was just singing this!" he exclaimed aloud. Must be a sign, he told himself.

James burst through the door with a gust of pine-scented air. "Hey Kendall, what's up?" he asked, looking rather suspicious as he tried to stash a bulky bag behind his back. He bounced off the counter top as he went by, twirling all the while to distract Kendall's wandering eyes from his treasures.

Kendall wrapped his slender arms around himself. "Well, now I'm cold! Are you made of ice, or what? You just brought in arctic air with you! So, what's the rush, anyway?"

"Oh..no rush! Uhhh, I see what you did there! Rush-haha! Just need to drop off some stuff in the room. You know it's not even fifty degrees out there?" James rambled on. "What did you say you were doing in that sexy apron again?" he called as he went around the corner.

Kendall shook his head. James never could be sneaky. Hmmm...what could he have bought that smelled of pine, he wondered.

Before he knew it, James had returned. "Need some help with..." his eyes traveled over the ingredients spread out on the counter, "whatever all this is?"

"No!" Kendall said a little too quickly. A pout spread slowly across James wind-pinked face. "What I mean is...I don't have everything I need to make it. The guys haven't come back with the candy yet."

James gave him a doubtful look, but decided to let it go. "Good luck with that. Has candy EVER made it back when Carlos is involved?"

Kendall's face dropped. "I didn't think about that! But I'm sure Logan will make sure-"

James smiled devilishly. He was just a wee bit happy that he had Kendall worried after dismissing his offer to help. "What kind of candy are they getting?" He reached over and took a handful of chocolate chips from a bowl. Kendall slapped his hand hard, making the chips scatter.

"Ow! What'd you do that for!" James cried.

"Sorry. Just don't eat the ingredients. I won't have anything left. Licorice whips and Hershey's kisses. I need licorice whips to trim the cars, and I'm making gingerbread clones of us to ride the train-it's a long story, James."

"Hmm?" James said through another mouthful of chips.

"James!" Kendall pried open his hand and shook the palm-full of chips back into the dish. "I want kisses to carve Logan's hair out of," he said with a snicker.

James giggled, picturing a Hershey's kiss making the perfect replica of Logan's high hair. The door-knob rattled and the sleigh bells jingled on the door as both boys trained their eyes on it. Bickering could already be heard from the hall.

"I can't believe you did that!" Logan was complaining, as they entered.

"You're no fun!" Carlos yelled back. "I just wanted to ride the Santa train once!"

"It was for little kids! The sign CLEARLY said so!" Logan insisted.

"I didn't see any sign that said that! Besides, Christmas is for kids from one to ninety-nine! That Christmas song says so!" Carlos shouted. "What's the name of that one again?"

"Guys!" Kendall scolded in an exaggerated stage-whisper. "Do you want to get us kicked out of here? Already?"

They both looked down. "No," Logan admitted, setting a grocery bag down on the counter with a thud. "I was just humiliated when Carlos blew by the sign of an elf holding up a measuring tape that clearly said you had to be this tall to ride," Logan mumbled, gesturing waist-high with his palm.

Carlos slammed his bag down next to Logan's with an equally matched thud. "It said you had to be AT LEAST that tall!" Carlos corrected.

Logan rolled his eyes. "Carlos, you looked ridiculous! Your knees were up to your chest and you-you were WAVING AT ME!"

Kendall and James laughed at Logan's obvious embarrassment. "Ha! Well tell them what you did!" Carlos exclaimed. Kendall and James looked at Logan curiously.

Logan was already turning red. "NO!" he said, busily pulling out the groceries from the bag.

"Come on Logie, let's hear it," Kendall teased.

Logan shook his head. "It was nothing!" he said, covering Carlos' mouth quickly when he tried to blurt it out.

James broke into a big grin. "I bet I know," he said mysteriously, crossing his arms over his chest smugly.

"Really?" Kendall said. "Well tell me!"

Logan reddened even more. "What are you making here, Kendall?" he asked, hoping to change the subject.

"A magnificent Christmas train!" Kendall said proudly.

"Ooh! A choo-choo! Just like the one I rode, I bet!" Carlos said gleefully.

"Wait a minute..." Kendall said, looking over their purchases for the first time. "The train is at the mall, not the grocery store. Why were you at the mall? And where's my licorice whips and chocolate kisses?" he demanded to know. He stared Logan down with his hands on his hips. The candies before him were like none he'd ever seen. "'Shimmy-Shims'?" he said, picking up a small box.

"Yeah, they had some really weird stuff at Exotic Imports," Carlos said, picking up the squirrel-shaped candies called 'Yummy Gummys'.

"I've never even heard of that place!" Kendall cried.

Logan looked guilty. "It was Carlos' fault!" he answered quickly. "I said we had to get to the grocery store before it closed, but he wanted to see the tree lit up at the town center!"

"Huh!" Carlos snapped, giving Logan an angry glare. "That is so not true! We drove by it anyway! You wanted to get to the Victoria's Secret sale before everything was gone!"

Logan shrank about two inches. "Well...it was still the reason we were late though," he tried, still looking down sheepishly.

"Victoria's Secret?" James asked with a devilish twinkle in his eye. "I thought you already bought Camille that -"

"I did!" Logan interjected.

"You're breaking your own rule and buying her lingerie for Christmas?" Kendall continued. "Or... is it for someone else?"

All eyes were on the speechless boy. Logan gave a big nod and coughed. "I wasn't shopping for her, and can we please talk about something else here?"

"Yeah, like how you owe me whips and kisses!" Kendall shouted at Logan, just as his mother and Katie walked through the unlocked door bearing gifts.

Katie stifled a giggle, and broke into a wide grin when she saw the shocked look on her mother's face. "I know that sounded wrong..." Kendall began. "Don't you guys ever lock the door behind you?"

"I don't even want to know!" Mrs. Knight said, immediately crossing the room to deposit the gifts under the tree. She smiled as she admired it. "You boys did a great job with your first tree," she said.

"Thanks, mom," Kendall said. He closed the cookbook just as Katie made her way over curiously. She scanned the ingredients on the counter.

"Whatcha' doin', bro?" she asked slyly.

"Nothing," Kendall said.

"Right. Nice apron, by the way."

"Oh, yeah..." Kendall tugged the end of the ties and slipped out of it. "Thanks for leaving the apron, mom."

"Sure, honey. I used it last time I was here making meals, and I thought you could use it."

Katie crossed her arms and studied her brother. He was definitely up to something. She had a pretty good idea that he was going to try and top the gingerbread castle she made the year before. After all, his hockey rink had turned out lame, she thought to herself.

"You brought us presents, Mama Knight?" Carlos finally asked, no longer able to resist.

She laughed. "I did, Carlos." He practically jumped up and down. "We wanted to drop them off tonight while we were out. We were hoping we could still all get together for Christmas dinner this year."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, mom," Kendall said happily."I'll even bring the dessert."

Katie's eyes narrowed. So she was right. He was planning on one-upping her. "So am I," she said with a challenging little snort.

James, Carlos and Logan looked from Katie to Kendall. So that's what this was all about they all thought. Sibling rivalry. "You can never have too many desserts!" Carlos chimed in, rubbing his belly eagerly.

"That's true," Katie said nonchalantly. "Of course, some are always better than others."

Kendall threw her a daunting look. "Yup."

"Well sweetie, we have to get going," Mrs. Knight said. "We have to stop at the donation center before we head back. The place looks great, boys." She kissed each one of them on the cheek, lingering longer at her son's.

"See ya'!" Katie called, already at the door and eager to get home to devise the best Christmas treat ever.

Once the boys were alone, they slowly walked to the living room and took a seat. James clicked on the television. "I thought you were baking," he said to Kendall. He licked his lips in anticipation.

Kendall shook his head. "Not yet. I have to have the perfect plan. I need everything in the cookbook picture!"

"Hey, what's this really about?" Logan asked softly.

Kendall sighed. "Every year Katie and I made gingerbread houses, remember?" They all nodded. "Well, as you know, every year she makes mine look ridiculous with her little perfectly-placed gumdrops, and-and her peppermint drop windows, and-and her-"

"Whoa, Kendall! Take it easy!" Carlos cried, rubbing his friend's shoulder to calm him. "They were both delicious last year!"

"It's not that..." Kendall said, trying to wipe the pout off his face, but failing. "Mom always oohs and ahhs over it. And frankly...so do you guys." he said with a full-blown pout now.

"Awww, Kendall," James said wrapping a strong arm around his shoulders from the other side. "We didn't know you were so...sensitive about it," he said.

"It doesn't have to look good to taste good!" Carlos added.

Kendall sank deeper into the sofa, feeling foolish that it mattered so much and that he had aired his feelings. He knew he was being silly. He looked up at Logan who had remained quiet during his revelation. He couldn't bear to think of what Logan was actually thinking of him at the moment.

Logan looked pensive, and he was wearing his "brainstorming" face. Kendall's eyebrow shot up.

"I think..." Logan trailed off as Kendall waited patiently, "that you will have the BEST dessert ever!" he suddenly shouted, jumping to his feet. "You and I will create the ultimate design that will make Katie's look like a kindergarten project!"

"It will? We will? So...you'll help me?" Kendall asked uncertainly.

"Of course I will!" Logan said excitedly.

"Hey, wait a minute here," James said. "I offered to help you first, but you slapped me!"

Logan and Carlos snapped their heads in Kendall's direction. "I didn't slap you! At least not for that!"

"Just forget it," James said. "I'd rather eat it than make it anyway."

"Me too!" Carlos agreed.

"Okay, good. Then you guys can go pick up dinner while Logan and I get started. I guess it'll have to be fast food since everything's closed by now."

James and Carlos raced for the door. "I'm driving!" James yelled, snatching the keys from the hook and dangling them high above Carlos' head where he couldn't reach.

"Well I'm choosing dinner!" Carlos shouted, racing out of the door.

Alone at last, Kendall and Logan laughed. Kendall opened up the book to the train photo again, and smiling he showed it to Logan. Logan's eyes widened.

"Wow! That's pretty cool! Are we actually making that?"

"Yup. Except we still need the licorice whips and Hershey's kisses," Kendall reminded him.

"I'll tell you what, Kendall. We'll make it tonight, and I'll go out first thing in the morning to get them… since it's all my fault we don't have them."

"Deal. We can just add them on later. Why were you at the Victoria's Secret sale, anyway?" he threw in.

Logan grimaced. "I knew you were going to ask me that."

Kendall waited. "Soooo?" he prodded.

"I-I was looking for something-uh- for you," Logan murmured into his chest.

Kendall's plush eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "Me?"

"They had these really great-oh, never mind," he said looking down. "I was too embarrassed to buy them anyway." Logan thought about the silk plaid boxers that Kendall had admired in a magazine once.

"Why?" Kendall asked, leaning down to try and force his friend to make eye-contact with him. "Sounds like a practical enough gift. I know how practical you always are."

"No! That's the whole point!" Logan said. "I always get you something practical, and this year I didn't want to. They were definitely NOT practical."

Kendall smiled. "So, why didn't you? Don't worry about what other people think. I'll love anything you get me."

Logan smiled too. "You got me that cologne year before last, remember?" Logan said. "But Jett made it sound...weird. He kept teasing you and saying that a guy can't get another guy cologne."

"Don't remind me. I don't care if it's supposedly taboo to buy another guy cologne. You liked it," Kendall said.

"I did," Logan said truthfully, grinning.

"There you have it, then," Kendall said. He measured out the flour according to the recipe, and Logan carefully double-checked his measurement to make certain it was precise. He nodded his approval. "I don't know what "it" is, but I know that I want it if you want me to have it."

He wrapped his arms around Logan and hugged him tight. Logan smiled and hugged him back, locked in the warm embrace. "I'm confused," he said.

The sleigh bells jingled on the door and Mister Bitters barged in holding four giant candy canes. His eyebrows immediately shot up. "Never mind, I'll come back later!" he called as he scampered back down the hall. Both boys laughed.

"We really have to start locking that door," Kendall said.

x-x

With the shortbread pieces baked to perfection and cooling, they rested and waited for James and Carlos to return with dinner. "I think they came out great," Logan said, putting his feet up. Kendall nodded.

"Yep, we finally did it! Now if we could just get our hands on those whips-" Kendall said out just as Jett burst in with another jingle of the bells.

He stared in shock. "I was just about to say Happy Holidays, but I see I've interrupted something here."

"Why does this keep happening?!" Kendall exclaimed. "For the train, Jett! The train!"

"Train?" Jett echoed, looking perplexed.

"Never mind," Logan said.

"Anyway...I come bearing gifts for my good friends," Jett continued, jiggling the boxes he held in his arms.

"Good friends?" Kendall said sarcastically.

Logan jumped to his feet and took them from him, carefully laying them under the tree. "Here," he said, quickly handing Jett four small boxes in return. Kendall wrinkled his brow.

"Why, you shouldn't have!" Jett cried jovially.

"I didn't know we did," Kendall mumbled under his breath. Logan shot him a warning look.

"Woo, it smells really good in here," Jett said, wiggling his nose.

"Shortbread," Logan said. "And...you'll be invited over for some on Christmas Eve!"

"I will?" Jett asked.

Kendall's eyes went round. "He will?"

"I accept your invitation!" Jett chirped. "And I'll bring a dish! What time should I arrive?" he asked, directing the question to Kendall this time.

Kendall shrugged and pointed to Logan. "This is his thing!"

"Seven-ish, I guess?" Logan said.

"I'll see you then!" With his new plans made, Jett left happily whistling Jingle Bells.

"What was that all about?" Kendall asked incredulously, as soon as he was out of earshot.

"I kind of felt sorry for him," Logan admitted. "It's obvious that he has no where to go this year."

"That's because he has no friends!" Kendall pointed out. "Other than himself that is…"

"Are you mad at me?" Logan asked. Kendall sighed.

"No, how could I be mad at you? You always try to make everyone happy at Christmas."

"I can be a little uptight around the holidays," Logan reminded him.

"Maybe, but you still see to it that no one's left out, and that everything runs smoothly."

Logan grinned. "And, you always give a little bit of yourself to everyone, also making everyone happy."

"Whether they want a piece of me or not," Kendall said. They laughed. "Now, like I was saying...once we have our whips and kisses-"

"WHAT?" someone said from somewhere. "Hello?" came from the other end of the cell phone, lying on the coffee table nearby.

"I give up!" Kendall cried in exasperation. He picked it up. "Hello? Who is this?"

"Papi Garcia! My son around?"

"Noooo...and I see he left his phone here," Kendall said, "and turned on."

"Right. Well just let him know that his mother and I wanna stop over Christmas Eve to drop off some packages and cookies."

"Will do."

"Bye son. See you then."

"Bye." Kendall hung up. "It seems EVERYONE is coming here for Christmas Eve!"

"That might be fun," Logan said, reflectively.

"Only if my train turns out perfect. Otherwise I'll be a laughing-stock again this year!"

"It will be perfect," Logan assured him.

x-x

Back to work after eating the burgers and fries that Carlos had chosen, Logan and Kendall mixed up the icing and Kendall poured it into the pastry bag Logan was holding.

"Let's test this baby out," Logan said. He gave it a firm squeeze and icing shot out, landing all over face.

Kendall laughed as Logan blinked the icing off of his eyelashes. "We were supposed to seal the bag first I assume!"

"Well. That was a failure."

"Yeah," Logan said glumly, wiping some of the icing away from his nose.

"Not completely," Kendall said, still laughing. "You look like a perfect shortbread replica of yourself!"

"What?" Logan asked, confused.

Kendall wiped a smear of icing from his cheek and tasted it. "You taste as delicious as you look, Logan!" He heard the sleigh bells ring again. "Let me guess, someone's right behind me, right?"

Logan nodded. "Yep."

"Surprise?" Kelly said uncertainly.

Kendall turned around to see Kelly and Gustavo standing there peeking around giant red and white with poinsettias, Gustavo clearly horrified.

"Doesn't anybody knock around here?!" Kendall cried.

"I'll take those!" Carlos said, entering from the living room to relieve them of the plants.

"OH, and here!" Kelly said, handing over a bag of packages.

"More presents!" Carlos announced.

"What exactly are you two concocting here?" Gustavo asked, sniffing at the air.

"Shortbread," James said as he skidded around the corner. "But don't bother to ask, they didn't make any to actually eat."

Gustavo frowned. "Oh."

"Do you have plans for Christmas Eve this year?" Logan asked innocently. Kendall's eyes bulged. "I m-mean..." he stammered.

"No, we'd love to come over," Gustavo cut in. "Couldn't get a flight out to-"

"ARE YOU SURE?!" all four boys chorused.

"Of course I'm sure. What time?" Gustavo asked.

"Sevenish," Logan said with a grimace.

"We'll be here!" Kelly said, waving as they left.

"Great," Kendall said.

Logan sealed the bag, and they meticulously iced the edges of the shortbread, then pieced them together to make the train. It took up three feet of the counter's length upon completion, but it was truly magnificent to look at. They smiled at one another.

"Let's get some sleep so we can finish this up tomorrow," Logan advised.

"Good idea," Kendall said. "DON'T touch anything!" Kendall warned James and Carlos.

"We won't!" Carlos promised.

"You guys can have the 'Shimmy-Shims' though. I don't know about putting those hot-pink lips on my caboose!" Kendall called to them, lifting Logan up playfully on his back to carry him down the hall.

Camille and Jo had opened the door. "Merry-wait-WHAT!" Jo asked as Camille stared Logan up and down.

TBC!

I'm sorry, I meant for this to be a one-shot but it's going to be a two-parter. I guess I'm having too much fun with this goofy thing. (:

Love Crumpet