{ three: keep it way down low }
✧༺⋆༻∞✿∞༺⋆༻✧
❝ SHUT UP BEFORE I—I KISS YOU! ❞
Kendall didn't know why he said that, exactly. He hardly even remembered what he and Logan were arguing about. They were considered the most level-headed and rational ones in their rambunctious friend group and usually agreed on most things, so they hardly ever fought much—if at all.
But here the two of them were now, screaming at the top of their lungs about you-and-me and this-and-that and whatever-the-hell, the apartment walls were shaking, furniture upturned and glassware breaking, spittle flying and erupted veins exploding, and things had already gotten way out of hand with no one around to stop it.
Kendall was a valiant fighter with his heart on his sleeve and never one to back down, just as much as Logan refused to hold his logical tongue in a debate with his pride on the line. So as careful and fair as they proceeded with arbitrating other people's quarrels, they conversely snatched a few pages from their time on the ice and fought fast and dirty with settling their own disputes.
Whatever the case, those heated words clawed their way out of Kendall's ragged throat before he could swallow it back. And well, it worked. Kind of.
It did shut Logan up.
"...I'm sorry...you're gonna...what?"
"I—I didn't—I just meant that I'm—but you're...ugh, whatever, ya big dummy!"
The sheer ridiculousness of it all ground the entire argument to a tense halt, stilled fists and wavering dignity. But when Logan broke into a tickled grin at his absurd declaration, Kendall couldn't help but smile back as well; two pairs of amused dimples blossoming in slow motion and thawing the bad blood.
"Okay..." sighed the genius boy, holding up his hands in surrender. "Fine. Soooo maybe it was sort of my fault too. Whatever 'it' even was. I uh...I honestly don't remember anymore?"
"Yeah, me neither!" exclaimed Kendall. "I think I'm just being really stupid again. But I guess it was good for yelling practice...and also for relieving a bit of extra stress. Don't get me wrong, it's a horrible way to do it, but I could kinda see why Gustavo loves doing it."
"Oh please—Gustavo doesn't just love yelling, he's practically married to it!" Logan paused to thoughtfully stroke his chin. "Though, now I wonder...did they have their not-so-sweet honeymoon in Bora Bora Island...or Fiji...or maybe the Bahamas?"
Kendall snorted. "Knowing the big man's insane cheapskate tendencies, I'd say he probably just set up a beach-printed tarp in his own studio and had some poor dude hold up a plastic seagull tied to a fishing pole while he made Kelly play some ocean sounds on the speaker for extra ambiance. Romantic, huh?"
"Okay, yeah, I one hundred percent agree with that." Logan laughed. "Wait...hey, we're agreeing again!" he sheepishly hung his head. "I'm really sorry, Kendall."
"Don't worry—I also agree." replied the blond with an apologetic chuckle. "I'm really sorry, too, Loges."
With this, he uncrossed his arms and opened them wide for a hug, which Logan happily accepted.
As if on cue, James and Carlos's heads popped out from the hallway, probably feeling it safe to come out from the unassailable trenches of their shared bedroom, their wide doe gazes fluttering curiously at the reconciled couple.
"Wow," observed James wryly, "I haven't heard a shouting battle as intense as that since...well, yesterday actually, when Gustavo screeched at us for accidentally turning his awards shelf into a melting museum rainbow masterpiece during our annual paintball wars...and Kendall shot a pink one right up his nose. But I guess that was more like dinosaur tantrum roaring than anything else."
"But um, are mom and dad done fighting now?" was the timid Carlos's earnest inquiries.
"Yeah...yeah, boys." Kendall playfully rubbed a knuckle on his boyfriend's spiky hair. As if it couldn't get any sillier, trust their mutual love of ribbing their disparaged music producer to swoop in and save the day, somehow. "Mama Hortense here was just having a bit of a bad day, but I've got him all calmed down now, so we're good."
"Hey, why am I the mom?" complained Logan.
"Because you totally are." their spectating friends assented without missing a beat.
"Uh-huh, what they said, so just shut up about it already."
"Oh yeah—or what, huh, Papa Ken?"
When Kendall swiftly leaned in towards Logan to finally make good on his threat, James and Carlos burst out in disgusted razzes of "ewwww, parent smoochies!", and their mother hen friend ended up chasing after the rowdy kids, giving them chastising earfuls, and grounding their noisy butts for the rest of the evening.
With a content sigh, Kendall leaned on the kitchen counter and simply watched them continue to quibble with each other. Between his amazing mom and clever baby sis and the three boys he loved most in the world, he couldn't ask for a better family, so there really was nothing to fight about, after all.
✧༺⋆༻∞✿∞༺⋆༻✧
a/n: HI HELLO EDITING PROCRASTINATION MAKING A KILLING ON ME AS USUAL BUT THAT'S FINE BC NO ONE'S READING THIS, HOW YOU SAY, HAUT GARBAGÉ,,, ALSO THIS DRABBLE GOT SO LONG FRJEFNDKS PLS NEVER ENTRUST ME WITH WRITING KENDALL-CENTRIC FICS EVER BC MY SMOOTH BRAIN GOES FULL HEART EYES AND PROJECTS HARDER THAN AN EIGHTH-GRADE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION-
also shoutout to my present and past fave btr boys in this story...and to the only ship i knew of pre-btr brainrot era...this fic has been a long time coming og homage (・`ω´・)