So this thing is monstrous, like 11.5k words monstrous. So I had to split it because really who wants to sit and read all that at once.

Enjoy :]

It all started as a misunderstanding. Scott had the terrible idea of telling his mom that he finally got himself a boyfriend around the end of the semester. He didn't expect her to come all the way out to L.A. just to celebrate the end of another school year, and this boyfriend wasn't expecting either to be asked to meet his mom so early so he decided to end things the day before Connie's arrival. The blonde decided to wait until she was with him to tell her the bad news. Except now she's here and he's not so sure about how to go about this.

She was so happy to see her son, she hugged him for at least ten minutes, refusing to let go. No matter how old he got, he would always be her baby. He felt small in his mother's arms, ready to cry even though he wasn't all that heart broken. He was only with the guy for 3 months.

"So where's that boyfriend of yours?" She asked with the brightest smile Scott had ever seen, making him cringe.

"Yeah...mom...about that..." he started, struggling with his words, trying to be smooth about telling her that he had been dumped the night before. Just when he was going to open his mouth again, the front door opened and closed quickly.

"Honey, I'm home!" They heard Mitch yell, making Scott inhale sharply and his mom squeal with delight.

"I knew it! You two are finally together. Were you afraid to tell me? You know I love that boy almost as much as you do. You two are perfect for each other. I can't wait to tell your sisters, they'll be so excited." She started rambling while Scott was watching her, unable to disappoint her by telling her the truth. She just looked so...happy.

Just as he thought it couldn't get any worse, Mitch came barging in the room, pressing a loud kiss on his cheek and greeting Connie like the adorable asshole he was. She immediately started to congratulate them and saying how she felt like they were the perfect match and how thrilled she was that they were finally together. The brunette never said a word to contradict her. Scott wished he did, so he wouldn't have to do it. She was rambling again and Mitch was watching Scott closely, waiting for him to say something. Scott just shrugged, his usual loud mouth unable to open now.

She ended up staying 3 days. During those days, Mitch spent most of his time at the library studying for an exam he had in a few days. He was avoiding Scott very carefully too, especially when they were with his mother, since Scott seemed to be incapable of telling her he wasn't dating his roommate. Every time they were all together, Connie would start talking and talking about how amazing it was to see them like this, making Mitch blush and Scott cringe. It was his fault and he just had to open his mouth to make it stop, but he preferred waiting for her to go home and back to her life, hoping she'd forget about it all.

Except she never forgot. Every phone call, she asked about them... how they were doing...and each time Scott told her that they were good. He never, not once, told her they weren't dating. He never talked about them romantically and he thought she had just figured everything out by now.

It was December now. They had started their last year at UCLA and they were still sharing their small apartment in the heart of the city and everything was going really well. Scott's mother was planning Christmas and calling almost every day, annoying her son with silly questions he never had an answer to.

"How is Christmas going to go with Mitch this year?"

"Mitch?" Scott asked, unsure of what she was talking about. "Same as usual I guess. I'll come back home, he goes home to his family, and then we reunite for new years back here at school. We haven't really talked about it to be honest."

"Sweetheart, it's been almost a year now, shouldn't you be celebrating together? I want to see him and I'm sure Nel would want to see you."

He was honestly too shocked to contradict her, once again. He thought she had understood now that they weren't dating. Yeah, he never actually said out loud that they weren't together, but it was implied. He talked about Mitch going out and yeah he never told his mom that the brunette came back with a few people, but only because it was obviously inappropriate to talk about his roommate's sex life with his mother. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even hear the rest of what she had to say about the situation.

"I'll talk to him." He hung up the phone on her before she could say anything else.

Scott stayed in his room for a few hours trying to come up with excuses to go home alone. He could say their flights were already booked for their separate ways, but she would just argue that Mitch could come later. He could also tell her they broke up, but that might make things awkward since they lived together and didn't plan on stopping any time soon. He knows that they could find a way to celebrate together, but he doesn't know how to ask Mitch for this favor. He avoided Scott like the plague for over a week after his mom visited in April.

And now here he is, entering the living room where Mitch is playing the keyboard with papers all around him, trying desperately to find a good subject for his midterm, and he's not having much success.

"What are you doing for Christmas?" He cuts right to the chase. His mother won't let him breathe until he tells her that Mitch is coming with him or vice versa.

"Going home to Maryland, like I always do. Why?" Scott hopes Mitch doesn't look up to stare at him because he doesn't know if he'll be able to tell him if he has to look at the brown eyes.

"...Mom wants to see you." He says in a whisper, afraid of Mitch's reaction. It's then that he looks up, suspicion written all over his face.

"You didn't tell her." It's not a question, "Why didn't you tell her? It's been almost a year!"

"That's why she wants you to come." Scott replies. "I thought it was implied when I mentioned you going out and seeing people and stuff." He shrugs, hoping Mitch will leave it there and just agree to come with him.

"You should have told her from the start, Scott. I'm not going." He sighs. "I can't cancel my plans just to come with you because you're unable to tell your mother that you don't actually have a boyfriend."

"I'm not asking you to....I could come with you...?" He asks, hopeful.

"And drag my mom into all of this? No way in hell." Mitch moves the keyboard aside to stand up. "You're a big boy, just tell your mom she invented all of this and you're done."

"I let her believe this for 10 months. I can't backtrack now!" Scott pleas with his pout and big blue eyes hoping to change Mitch's mind.

"Not my problem."

"Come on Mitch! Only for a couple days, then I won't see her for a few months and I can tell her we broke up when I find someone else. Please Mitch? I can't disappoint her. It's Christmas. I'll do anything you want. Clean all of your stinky socks, do the dishes and I'll even try cooking more. Just name what you want." He walks after Mitch, silently praying he'll say yes. "Please please please please please." Chanting now, hoping to annoy him enough to say yes.

'Fine! Fine. Whatever. I'll come with you. Two days. That's it." Mitch already knows it'll be a bad idea, but he can't really say no.

"Thank you! You're the bestest best friend ever. I'll do your laundry from now on."

The brunette bites his lip, not wanting to say that Scott already does all their laundry anyway. He's screwed. He'll have to find an excuse for his mom and he knows she'll want Scott to come if he says he's going home with the older boy. He sighs heavily, dropping his head against the wall, while Scott is all smiles.

-------

"I'm not kissing you Scott!" Mitch shouts for the hundredth time at least.

"But they'll ask! They do it every year. Each time one of us kids brings someone new, we have to kiss. It's tradition." Scott pouts again, making his friend sigh.

"I'm not your boyfriend. Find someone else to kiss you." At this point Mitch is absolutely fed up with the whole conversation.

"They'll think you are."

"That's because you can't tell your mommy that you don't actually date your roommate." He knows he sounds angry and bitter, but he also knows how Scott's family can be.They won't leave them alone for two seconds. He's only staying for two days and he knows it'll be a living hell. There's no way he's kissing his best friend.

"Come on Mitch! If we practice now it'll be easier afterward. I'm not a bad kisser, I promise! I'll stay very gentle." Scott keeps trying to convince Mitch.

"That's not the problem, Scott. I can't kiss you." Mitch stands firm on his decision.

"Why?"

"Because you're my best friend?" He shrugs, like it's completely obvious. It's just strange to think about kissing someone you've known for so long and been friends with for years.

"It'll be like an experiment. It's only for pretend Mitch. You don't have to put your tongue in my mouth or enjoy it. Just a peck, that's it." At this point, Scott is making Mitch laugh, he seems so sure that it's no big deal. "Just like your parents did when you were little. It's the same thing, it doesn't matter."

"...You sure they'll be happy if I don't go all the way with it?" His resolve is melting.

"I don't think my grandma wants to see me making out with my boyfriend, so yeah, I'm positive."

Mitch believes him, so they try a bit and it's not...too bad. They almost don't feel a thing when their lips press together. They're both timid at first, but then they find each other's hair or shoulders and it's easier. After that, they start to act a little more friendly. A kiss on the cheek there, hands brushing together, cuddles on the couch. It's only practice, so they don't seem so uncomfortable in front of others. During the week before they leave for Texas, Scott kisses Mitch every night before going to bed, just like he would do if they were really boyfriends, and it's nice enough that Mitch doesn't even complain once.