The 12 Dates of Christmas

The One With the Boyfriend (feat. Brendon Urie)

“So, Brandon, what is it that you do?” My Aunt Kelly inquired as she refilled her wine glass.

“It's Brendon, Aunt Kelly,” I pointed out, annoyed. I'd told her this three times already. I didn't know why I bothered. Not like she'd ever see him again.

Brendon, bless him, took it in stride every time. He leaned over and kissed my cheek. He'd been so convincing, I was sure nobody suspected I'd only brought him along to Christmas dinner to shut my family up about my love life.

He always rolled with my schemes. He indulged nearly every hair-brained shenanigan I had ever asked him to be a part of. We planned to “break up” spectacularly on the front lawn after the evening was all said and done.

“Right. Sorry, I'll get it. Brendon, what do you do for a living?”

My stepfather, Ted, piped up. “I'm curious too. Ellie hasn't told us much about you. What is it you do?”

Brendon paused with a fork halfway raised to his face and grinned brightly. “Rock and roll.”

I rolled my eyes and squeezed his arm. “He's a musician.”

Aunt Kelly raised her eyebrows. Ted sipped his beer. Grandpa put in his two cents.

“Exactly what kind of musician?”

“The touring kind.” Brendon put a forkful of mashed potatoes in his mouth and smiled as he chewed.

“So you can't really give Ellie the stability she deserves.”

“He can give me lots of time to myself, Grandpa, and you know how I need that.”

“Okay, but what else can he offer?”

“Daddy, enough,” my mother admonished. “Ellie and Brendon seem very happy.”

Grandpa huffed and stared Brendon down, even as he cut violently into his turkey.

“It's okay, Mrs. Turner,” Brendon smiled at my mom and turned back to my Grandfather. “I can offer Ellie my love. My loyalty and encouragement. A song every night before she falls asleep, and if there's anything she ever wants that I can't give her, I will work my ass off until it's within my power to get it for her.”

There was stunned silence around the table. All the other little conversations that had been taking place ceased. I stared wide-eyed at Brendon and reached for his hand.

My heart actually fluttered. I could feel the tips of my ears reddening. Brendon laced his fingers through mine and gave me his biggest, dopiest grin.

“Jesus, Ellie,” said my cousin Tim. My big, bearded, womanizing cousin Tim. “If you don't kiss him, I just might.”

The heat spread from my ears to my cheeks. Brendon reached over and held my face in his hands, running his thumbs along my blushing cheekbones. This, of course, made several of my relatives break into a mix of “awws” and light-hearted ribbing aimed at my redness.

I barely heard them. Brendon leaned towards me and our lips met softly, lingering maybe just a touch longer than was really necessary. I breathed in through my nose, my eyes closed as our foreheads met, resting together. “I need to talk to you.”

“Yeah, okay.”

I grabbed a fistful of his shirt and dragged him away from the table.

“Be safe, kids!” Tim shouted after us. I ignored him and lead Brendon to the mudroom at the back of the house. It was a little chilly, but it was about the only place we'd be out of sight.

I released Brendon's shirt and walked into the room, leaving him to follow me and shut the door behind us.

“What's up, El?” He walked over and perched himself on the bench next to the backdoor.

“I can't keep doing this,” I said, sitting down heavily beside him and resting my head on his shoulder.

“You want I should break up with you now?” He asked, kissing the top of my head.

I sat up and looked at him. “That's just it. I don't want to break up, either.”

He knit his glorious eyebrows together. “So what? Tell them it's all been a big scam?”

“I don't want to do that either,” I said, quietly. I prayed he knew what I was getting at.

There was silence for almost a minute. I looked at him while he looked down at his feet, thinking. I couldn't take the quiet anymore. I knew what it meant, and I stood to leave the room and confess to my family.

A hand reached out and circled my wrist, stopping me. “Ellie,” Brendon said. He paused for a second, then looked up at me. “I meant every word of what I said to Gramps out there.”

His puppy dog eyes watched me closely.

“Every word?” My heart raced.

“Every single one.” He stood and wrapped his arms around me. I reached up and tentatively ran my fingers through his hair. He closed his eyes at my touch and smiled.

Then my lips crashed into his, much harder this time than the last. When we finally parted, his eyes were sparkling.

“I'm gonna hold you to that song thing, you know.”

He barked a laugh. “There's a piano in the living room, right?”

I kissed him again and pulled him towards the door. “I was hoping for more of a private performance.”

“You'll have one. Every night til my voice dies or you can't hear it anymore. Whichever comes first.”

He was singing loudly before we'd even made it to the piano.