Disclaimer: I do not own "The Host" or any of the characters.
A/N: This is the start of a bunch of 5 oneshots I'm making. Me and my friend are giving each other 5 words that revolve around the word 'Christmas' and writing fanfics out of the one word we're using. For this oneshot, I got the word, 'Cookies'. Anyway, enjoy!
I was walking hand and hand with Ian, just like any morning. Ian also had a protective grasp on my waist to keep me from falling in the dark hallway. While I did think I didn't need that much help to get to lunch, I did sort of like it. I liked a lot of things, including being here. I took a deep breath to fulfill the moment. There was all the smells I was used to, for example, the musty smell of living in a cave. And then there was a different smell. I didn't remember it, but it was a smell that trigged a couple memories. Cookies. An experience I never had, but Pet's body sure had.
"What's…?" I trailed off, and sniffed again. "What's that smell?"
Ian chuckled; he always was amused on my lack of human experiences, "Cookies."
"When did we get cookies?" I asked in my ringing high pitched voice.
"Some of the men went on a raid a couple weeks ago without you," Ian said.
This distracted me from the cookie subject for a moment, "What! They shouldn't have gone without me! They could've got caught!"
Ian frowned a little and said, "Shh. It doesn't matter."
While I thought, yes it did matter, I didn't say anything. I continued silently down the hallway with Ian.
"Hey, Wanda, Ian," Lily greeted us. Her elbows down were hidden in the dough. "Trudy is making some cookies for everyone."
"Yeah," Trudy agreed from her station at the oven. "But the shapes of them won't turn out well. I tried to make them look like snowmen."
"Aw," Ian said. "Well, just make sure you leave a couple cookies out for Santa. He might leave us a new shiny car or something."
"Yeah, 'cuz I always wanted a Mercedes." Trudy replied.
I was confused, "What?"
Everyone turned to look at me. I blinked and tried searching Pet's memories. But Pet's memory didn't remember a 'Santa'. I finally gestured to the sudden baking of the cookies.
"During Christmas, everyone used to leave out cookies for Santa," Ian explained. "It was mostly a kid's thing, because Santa supposedly only came on Christmas and left presents for kids."
I thought for a moment. Maybe the souls had changed Earth more then I, and the rest of the humans thought. "Christmas, is, was, a religious holiday," I said slowly. "The other Souls mostly just put lights out, set up trees, and gave gifts. I've never heard of suddenly baking cookies or a Santa."
"Well, Merry Christmas the human way!" Lily said cheerfully.
I held up a cookie from the tray. It burnt my fingers, but I didn't care, "To Santa and cookies."
"To Santa and cookies," Everyone repeated, holding up their own cookies.
We munched on the cookies, even though no one else had come in yet to get their own. I started laughing at Ian's face, which was covered in chocolate. Lily and Trudy noticed and chuckled at Ian's face too. And we were still laughing when everyone else came in to get their lunch.