BFDI AND II ONESHOT BOOK!

Under The Mistletoe: Nickloon

It's Christmas at the hotel, and the party is in full swing! Pepper is on a mission to get Balloon and Nickel to share a kiss under the mistletoe.

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It was Christmas Day at the hotel, and a festive party was in full swing. As usual, Paper and OJ had done a great job setting everything up. The room was decked out with Christmas streamers, red and green tablecloths, twinkling lights strung along the walls, and a massive Christmas tree surrounded by gifts everyone had brought for one another. The air was filled with the sound of cheerful carols and the unmistakable warmth of holiday spirit.

The party had just begun, and for once, everyone was there—even those who typically skipped gatherings. Paper and OJ, having worked hard to organize everything, were finally taking a moment to relax, chatting quietly until someone inevitably called for more drinks or cookies.

Balloon stood off to the side with Salt and Pepper, sipping from a small red cup. A green ribbon tied into a festive bow adorned him, making him look like a walking Christmas decoration. Salt and Pepper were wearing matching ugly Christmas sweaters, which Balloon secretly thought were kind of cute. He'd drifted toward them because Nickel was deep in conversation with Baseball, and Suitcase was chatting with others. Balloon didn't want to interrupt. Parties always made him a little awkward, and Salt and Pepper, for all their quirks, were being surprisingly nice to him.

"I should, like, totally get OJ under the mistletoe this year," Salt giggled, casting an exaggeratedly dreamy look in OJ's direction.

Balloon frowned, his grip tightening slightly on his cup. "Uh, yeah, I think he'd rather be under the mistletoe with his actual boyfriend, Salt." His tone was sharp, clearly annoyed that she couldn't grasp the obvious.

"Don't even bother trying to convince her," Pepper whispered to him, leaning in conspiratorially. "She's completely obsessed. Trust me, I've tried."

"She doesn't stand a chance," Balloon muttered, taking another sip from his drink.

"Tell me about it..." Pepper chuckled, glancing at Salt, who was too busy making heart eyes at OJ to notice them talking about her.

Balloon smiled softly at Pepper, reaching out to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Hey, only time will tell," he said gently. He knew Pepper had feelings for Salt—she'd been harbouring them for years—but Salt's infatuation made things difficult.

Pepper sighed, her smile growing a little warmer. Balloon really was a good friend. She felt a pang of guilt for not giving him much of a chance before. He seemed to click with the girls more than the guys, likely because of his kind and understanding nature. Not that he didn't hang out with the guys—he did spend time with Nickel, Baseball, Pickle, Bomb, and OJ. But lately, it had been more of the girls.

"So," Pepper asked, breaking the silence, "why aren't you with Nickel or Suitcase? You've been kind of distant from your friends today."

Balloon swirled the drink in his cup thoughtfully. "Oh, it's nothing..." He hesitated, his gaze dropping. "Suitcase has been making a lot of new friends lately. I don't want to get in the way of that. And, well, sometimes she feels weird about how close Nickel and I are..." His cheeks flushed as his eyes flicked to Nickel. "And Nickel? Heh..." Balloon's voice trailed off as he glanced down at his now-empty cup. "He's busy with Baseball, so, you know... wouldn't want to disturb him."

He set his cup on the table behind him and reached back to adjust the bow on his ribbon, his fingers fumbling slightly as he tried to straighten it.

"I think you should talk to them," Pepper said with a sweet smile. "Even though I like having you here, I know you'd much rather be with them."