Author's Note!!
I wanted to get Before Our Eyes finished BEFORE posting this, but it doesn't look like it'll happen in time…
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It was hard to tell who was more excited the day their Christmas hampers arrived on the steps of the house they had been given once the world started to right itself again. Tori was obviously tickled by the thought of throwing a celebration, and the humans were quite keen on the idea themselves, but Ishmael was simply excited due to the fact that he had no idea what was going on…
But everyone else was excited, and that meant it was good.
When they started decorating, Zoey couldn't help but be reminded of Ishmael before he had gained the ability to speak small words and broken sentences, Ishmael before he could understand when someone was speaking to him, Ishmael before Mercy Hospital and their subsequent rescue and escape.
Zoey was reminded again of the Ishmael she fell in love with.
The curious Hunter wandered about the house, sniffing at everything and even trying to chew on a scented pine cone that Zoey placed in a bowl on the coffee table because it smelled good. Francis was wearing a Santa hat at breakfast that was almost immediately kidnapped by Ishmael, all the women in the house cooing over how adorable he looked in it and even Francis himself muttering that it looked better on Ishmael anyway.
Zoey didn't think much of it when she noticed Tori hanging in the doorway between the kitchen and the hall, though his devilish smirk made her stop as she was trying to get some dishes from breakfast to the sink.
"What are you up to?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Things that will probably get me a: Kicked out, b: Beaten up or c: Killed but will be TOTALLY worth it in the process of said things being done." Tori rasped, continuing to grin. Zoey opened her mouth to ask him what in the world he was talking about when it dawned on her.
"Oh PLEASE tell me you didn't tell Ishmael what that stuff is for." She gasped. "You realized what he will do, don't you?"
Tori raised both eyebrows, leading Ruby to the conclusion that the Smoker hadn't even thought about that yet. He smirked even more wickedly, then dashed off, Zoey contemplating simply dropping the dishes she was holding to chase him but deciding against it in the end.
Dropping the dishes into the sink, she met Selene's eyes, the smaller woman standing by to dry dishes.
"What's happening?" Selene's accented voice asked, Zoey shaking her head with a soft groan.
"MISTLETOE." was all she said before departing the kitchen to locate Tori and Ishmael. Selene smothered a laugh behind her hand and looked up at Jan, the older woman giving Zoey a questioning look before turning her attention to the diminutive doctor.
"Mistletoe." Selene said in way of explanation, shrugging. Jan rolled her eyes, stuck her cigarette in her mouth and started the dishes.
…
Zoey wasn't fast enough to stop Tori, and by the time she caught up to him, he was already explaining to Ishmael just what the mistletoe was used for, the Hunter staring at him in confusion.
"Ssoooo…" Ishmael reached up and scratched at the back of his head under the Santa hat. "This… magical plant… lets me kiss people? You're trying to get me in trouble, aren't you?"
"No." Tori stated simply, grinning in a charming manner at Zoey, who raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "It's for kissing. You get to kiss people. Best bet is to wait underneath it and then people will kiss YOU and you'll get in less trouble."
"What the hell are you saying to him?!" Zoey demanded of the Smoker, unable to decipher the growls and other noises that the infected were using to communicate.
"I'm telling him what the mistletoe is for! I'm thinking of attaching some to the end of his hat." Tori chirped, Zoey raising her hand to smack him when Ishmael stood to his full height, seized Zoey's arms in his hands and kissed her firmly. Tori gave the smaller infected a thumb's up and hurried away while giggling maniacally, Zoey letting out a furious noise that melted into a sigh of surrender as she looped her arms around Ishmael's neck.
"Promise me one thing." She gasped when he finally released her, the Hunter tilting his head to the side and smiling gently. "Don't kiss people like that alright? Since I know I'm not going to be able to stop you and Tori from playing your games with everyone else. And… I cannot be held responsible for Francis punching you."
Ishmael grinned at her, releasing her and hurrying back towards the kitchen. Zoey reached up and put one hand to her head, muttering something under her breath that Ishmael missed as he moved away.
Doing as Tori suggested, Ishmael positioned himself beneath the doorway to the kitchen, practically wriggling in excitement as he waited to determine whether or not Tori was making him out to be a huge idiot or if it was actually true what the mistletoe was for.
It was rather hard to believe that a plant could allow him to kiss people without Zoey getting jealous… kisses from his other females! It was a great holiday tradition!!
Ruby stumbled into the kitchen rather sleepily, moving through the doorway without giving Ishmael much more than a mumbled hello, the Hunter feeling a slight pang of disappointment. He whined in her direction, the human girl turning to look at him with an eyebrow raised.
"Why are you blocking the doorway?" She asked in a slightly slurred voice, Selene and Jan chorusing giggles from the sink and making Ruby even more confused.
Ishmael glanced up briefly, then grinned at Ruby as she followed his gaze.
She stared at the plant hanging above the doorway for a moment, then her pretty blue eyes narrowed and she stalked out of the kitchen, towards the stairs leading to the bedrooms above. "ITORIA LEVON HENRY!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" She shouted as she thundered back up the stairs.
This wasn't going well…
Ishmael sighed in defeat, then looked up when Darren came by, looking up at the ceiling with a grimace.
"What did that bone headed Smoker do this time?" He asked, pausing in the doorway and looking down at Ishmael. "And why ARE you blocking the door?"
"You're between me and my coffee." Bill grumbled from behind Darren, the younger male trying to step out of the way. Ishmael let out a rather demanding growl, the chorus of giggling from the corner by the sink growing louder now. "What the hell are you old hens up to?"
"Old hens?" Zoey asked, folding her arms and frowning at Bill. "Stop being so old fashioned, old man, and get out of the way Darren. There's mistletoe above you."
Darren blinked, opening his eyes a little more widely and looking up at the plant dangling above him. "Oh, son of a b-" He started, Ishmael reaching up to seize the front of his shirt. Before he could so much as squeak, Ishmael planted a kiss on his lips and released him with a triumphant grin, the human boy looking down at him in alarm while his face grew a brilliant shade of scarlet. He muttered something hastily and moved out of the way, Bill threatening Ishmael with bodily harm if he wasn't allowed to have his coffee.
Ishmael let him pass unhindered, but gave him a look that told him very clearly that he wasn't to be spared the same fate as Darren and he wouldn't be so lucky next time. Selene came up and kissed Ishmael on top of the head, the Hunter allowing her to get away with such a thing and sitting back against the door frame.
He could wait here comfortably all day if he had to… traditions were very important, from what he could discern from all the lights, the hat he was wearing now, the decorations and the baking they had been doing over the past few days. This time of year was very special, and no matter how long he had to wait, he wasn't budging until he had kissed everyone in the house!
"I'm gonna kill your boyfriend." Bill muttered, Zoey letting out a shrill giggle that Jan echoed. "And don't get any funny ideas. Mistletoe or no, kissing other men is a no no in my books." The old man growled in Jan's direction. Jan gave him an 'oh please' look before waltzing to the doorway. "Hey!"
"Give it up, old man." Zoey snickered. "Ish is just more charming than you. And he'll get you too, y'know…"
"Over my dead body." Bill said, pulling out his cigarettes. "I ain't kissing a man, ESPECIALLY not a Hunter. And ESPECIALLY not a Hunter named Ishmael."
"I honestly don't think you have a choice." Zoey continued, shrugging. "He looks ready to not budge for anyone."
The doorbell rang and Zoey straightened from where she had been standing against the counter. "I'll get it!" She called, moving out of the kitchen once more and grinning at Jan.
As the young woman moved down the hallway to the door, she kicked Francis' soaking wet boots out of the way, the biker having gone out to shovel the walk after losing a game to Louis. She sighed and shook her head as she wrenched the door open, her heart nearly stopping when she caught a glimpse of who was standing on the step outside.
Beautiful green eyes, slightly short and on the wiry side, shaggy black hair that still looked slightly damp…
"Um… h-hello. I was told… Ishmael Parker lived here?" He said almost shyly, looking down at the paper he held in his hand before looking back up to meet Zoey's eyes. "Is this… the right address."
Zoey stared, her mouth gone so dry she couldn't form words.
"I take it from your expression that it is. It's… sort of cold. And I didn't really bundle up for the walk, I just live three doors down… um… C-could I come in?" The stranger continued, Zoey nodding very slowly and stepping backwards to let him in. "Thanks. M-my name's Kelsey, by the way."
"Kelsey." Zoey parroted, reaching up to press her fingers to her lips. "Y-you have to be… You must be-"
"Ishmael's twin brother. O-or rather… the twin brother of the boy who BECAME Ishmael." Kelsey said quietly. "I… I feel so much like I'm imposing but-"
"N-no! Not at all!" Zoey flailed her arms a bit. "Christmas miracles and all that. Um… he's down the hall, by the kitchen. He's sitting in the door way trying to kiss people because one of the other guys that lives here convinced him it was a very important Christmas tradition."
Kelsey looked amused and amazed at once, tucking the slip of paper into his pocket before following Zoey down the hall. She turned to him and put a hand on his chest to stop him.
"Ishmael… has this thing with mirrors. He used to attack them all the time because they surprised him. He thought it was another Hunter. We've taught him to recognize himself, but with the infection still burning itself out in his veins, he well… he… he's a bit slow." She explained softly, Kelsey's eyes suddenly welling up with tears. "U-uh-"
"Sorry." Kelsey murmured, rubbing his eyes with one hand. "I guess I have a lot to tell you. If Ishmael needs to pounce me, he can. I don't mind, honestly, and it wouldn't be the first time."
"Right. This way, then." Zoey stepped out of Kelsey's way and pointed to the kitchen door, where she could see Ishmael's feet sticking out. He was obviously sitting directly in the way still, determined to complete his task.
Kelsey nodded and moved towards the door incredibly slowly, almost as if he were afraid of what he would find there.
Just at Zoey predicted, a heartbeat after Kelsey stepped into Ishmael's line of sight, the Hunter was on his feet, launching himself through the air at Kelsey with a screech. The human boy was flattened beneath him and the similarities between the two became even more clear.
It was quite literally like Ishmael was looking in a mirror at himself.
Kelsey was very still and quiet, though his breath was quick, and after a moment, Ishmael seemed to realize he wasn't looking in a mirror. The Hunter seemed hopelessly confused, glancing at Zoey for assistance before stepping backwards so he was no longer on top of Kelsey. The human boy sat up slowly without taking his eyes off of Ishmael, and the brothers' eyes met once more, Kelsey's face now wet with tears.
"This… this is the first time you've ever been able to look me in the eye. And it's such a shame that you probably don't even realize how much that means to me." Kelsey whispered, Ishmael tilting his head to the side and making a soft sound of confusion.
"You're not hurt, I take it." Zoey said, stepping closer to try and help Kelsey up.
"I'm fine. M-miss Munroe… Is there somewhere we can all sit down and talk? I'm sure there are plenty of questions that need to be asked." Kelsey said quietly as he took Zoey's hand and got to his feet again. He was an inch taller than Ishmael, the Hunter drawing himself up to try and look bigger on instinct.
"Let me… grab the others and we'll all sit in the living room." Zoey said, nodding. She took Ishmael's hand and tried to pull him away, but the Hunter was staring in fascination and wouldn't be moved.
She couldn't blame him.
This could quite possibly be the biggest day of his entire life.
Hell... of ALL their lives.