Okay, first of all, lol Ani was saying that she couldn't cook for crud, and that she would most likely find a way to scorch the food lol. Also, yes. Yes Mal is xD. Lol, and I figured you were a girl, so that's not really a surprise for me! And Mav is pretty interesting, I've been thinking about adding him in for awhile now... Muahahahaha... Evil thoughts, thinking very evil thoughts! As for the title of the story, I think I might just keep this for now.


Okay~ I wrote that top part a few days ago, so I'm gonna add to it. I couldn't resist! I needed Mal to be busy in order to do this part, so enjoy. ;)


Ani POV~

"That guy's not your brother." I crossed my arms and stared Mal down as she struggled to respond.

We were now on the opposite side of the cave from the boys, and I was trying to figure out exactly who Mav was. I looked up and saw that the boys were watching us in confusion, and that Mav looked slightly worried.

"How do you know?" She said quickly while rubbing her hands on her pants in a very uncharacteristic fashion, almost nervous. "He looks like me." She stared at me as if willing me to drop the subject.

I glanced back at the boys. Yes, he did look like her. Just like her. The only differences I could find were eye color, hair length, and gender. Maverick, as Mal called him, even dressed somewhat like her with his grey cargo shorts and black t-shirt.

I kicked a rock on the ground and huffed. "Fine, he does look like you… but he's not your brother, it's dead obvious Mal."

She scowled and looked at him from over my shoulder. "Would you believe he's my cousin?"

"No." I deadpanned, then I watched her, trying to keep from grinning. "Mal, is he, or is he not your boyfriend?"

She flinched and looked down at the ground. "He's my friend who is a boy..."

I smiled disarmingly, this conversation felt like pulling teeth, she just wouldn't give in.

"Alright, but I have to say… he's pretty cute." I pretended to glance at them from over my shoulder fleetingly, then back at Mal. "What do you think?"

Mal watched me wearily. "I guess so, what about it?" There was a slight defensive undertone to her words and I continued.

"Maybe we should invite him to come with us, he seems to want to spend time with you anyways." I grinned, hoping that my next statement would set her off. "I wonder what color his shorts are."

She bristled for a second but bit her tongue. "I don't know, why don't you go ask?"

Dang, it didn't work!

I studied her, this was my last resort…

"Alright, come on!" I spun around and started making a beeline for Maverick, only to have my arm caught by a squeaking Mal.

She lunged forward catching me before I even got five steps. "Don't actually do it!" She hissed on the brink of panic. "He'll think I set you up to it!"

I smiled sweetly at her, it was working. "If you two aren't dating…" I started innocently. "Then it won't matter anyways."

She groaned and dropped her arm. "Fine, we're dating… and if you really want to know, he wears blue ones." She blushed heavily and looked at her feet once again. "Don't ask how I know that."

Did she seriously just…? She actually told me that what color his boxers were.

I laughed teasingly. "That's just wonderful Mal. I really needed to know that."

She shrugged in defeat and continued to look at her feet. "I don't need you asking him awkward questions that I can easily answer without him knowing..."

I glanced back at the boys, they were talking about something, and I could tell from Maverick's horrified expression that whatever it was, it wasn't good.

I looked back at Mal and raised an eyebrow. "Should we invite him along? I think he'll like it once he gets used to Puck."

Mal looked into my eyes worriedly. "You're okay with that?" She shifted her footing on the damp rocky ground and continued to wipe her palms on her shorts. "You barely even know the guy."

I shrugged. "Puck seems okay with him." I gestured over at the now laughing redhead, Mav was currently shouting something at him and whatever it was, Puck seemed to find it quite amusing. "You might want to decide fast so we can go and break that up, by the way."

Mal smiled as she watched the boys bicker. "Don't worry, Mav won't get hurt." She glanced at me. "And Puck's extraordinarily hard to kill, if your brother couldn't ever accomplish it, I doubt my... boyfriend, will in the next few minutes." She paused when she said 'boyfriend' as if she wasn't used to calling Maverick that.

I nodded thoughtfully as I watched them, then Mal grinned at me and squinted. "I think they like each other."

As she said that, Mav took a swing at Puck and the trickster dodged out of the way easily, throwing his head back and laughing with sheer glee.

"You think so?" I threw a sharp glance in Mal's direction and she grinned.

"Definitely."

We made our way back to the boys and I saw Puck facing away from Mav with a wicked glint in his eyes while Maverick was glaring daggers at his back as if willing him to spontaneously combust. Mal jogged past me and over to Mav. "Mav!"

He turned away from Puck, his gaze softening as he focused on Mal. "Yeah?"

"We've voted, and majority says that you can come with us!" She declared while grinning at him.

He nodded slowly and glanced suspiciously at Puck- I didn't know what was said while we were gone, but it couldn't be good.

"Don't worry." I added quickly before he could argue. "I'll keep Puck under control." I stepped closer to Puck and shot him a behave-right-now-or-else look, the redhead simply laughed and 'nonchalantly' put his arm around me… obviously a silent warning directed at Mav.

I sighed silently. Note to self, explain to Puck that Mav is dating Mal.

Mav stared at me and Puck, his eyes widening for a second before he responded, pretending that Puck's silent and very misguided warning flew clear over his head. "How the heck do you plan to do that?" He laughed awkwardly and threw Puck a look. "The king can't even accomplish that, so if you know the secret, please tell everyone you know!"

Puck looked at me with a grin. "He knew who I was."

"I gathered."

Mal grinned at Mav as she stepped in front of him. "So, will you come? I'll feel guilty if you don't..." She pouted and he rolled his eyes while smiling.

"I guess so."

"Alright then." I said, relaxing into Puck's arms. "We now, are a group of four!"

"Yes!" Mal grinned, then nonchalantly looped her arm through Maverick's while grinning at me. "Can we go scout ahead?"

I laughed and shot her a look, causing her to blush and scowl at me at the same time.

I waved them off. "I don't see why not," I glanced at Puck, remembering how he wolfed down the squirrel earlier. "While you're out, could you two catch some more food? We need to keep our energy up."

Mal and I shot Puck a pointed look, and his stomach growled in response. He shifted his weight awkwardly. "What? I've been distracted…" His voice trailed off and he fell silent. Thinking about something..?

Mav broke Puck's uncharacteristic silence. "No problem." He laughed and stretched his arms up above his head. "Pretty sure I haven't eaten in three days."

Mal gaped at him, eyes wide. "Maverick, you're going to make yourself pass out from hunger or something!" She started to tow him away. "First thing I find, will be stuffed down your throat!"

He laughed and allowed himself to be dragged. "At least cook it first."

Then they disappeared through the cave exit, leaving me and Puck alone.

I spun in his arms and laced my fingers around the back of his head. "Pretty sure that move was so nonchalant that only everyone present noticed." I grinned and kissed him on the cheek. "Don't worry, I like you."

He laughed. "I thought only he noticed, you did too?" His eyes glinted mischieviously and he glanced in the direction that the happy couple left in. "Not her brother," He looked at me in confusion, then continued. "I hope."

I nodded and laughed. "She tried to convince me that he was, but no… they're dating."

He grinned ear to ear, obviously not just happy for Mal. "Well that's good, did she say anything else?"

I smirked at the trickster in my arms. "His boxers are blue."

I said the statement quickly and he blinked his emerald green eyes at me in visible perplex. "What?"

I pulled him closer and smiled. "Nevermind."

He continued to watch me, then smirked. "So, how likely do you think it is that Fall will stuff a dead animal down Mav's gullet?"

I blinked and laughed, that was the last thing I'd expected him to say just now. "Way to ruin a moment!"

All he did was grin slightly, not his usual wicked grin, but the sweet one that he rarely shows to others. "Felt more like an awkward silence to me. Was it a 'moment'?"

I swatted him lightly and leaned into him pouting. "Yes. Yes it was."

"Okay…" Puck pulled me closer to him gently. "If it's alright with you, let's just continue the 'moment'."

I let myself be pulled to his chest, then looked up into his deep emerald green eyes, he was watching me contently. I smirked a bit, I had to tease him some. "I didn't know one could just continue a 'moment'. Who gave you that power?"

He leaned in close, his breath tickling my ear as he spoke. "I did." His voice was just above a murmur and I stared at him and blushed. "Damn, since when could you be so romantic?" Before he could respond, I pressed my finger to his lips. "Don't. That'll just really ruin the moment." He just chuckled and nodded as I pressed myself closer to him.

After a moment, I pulled back slightly and looked up at him, we were so close that I could hear his pulse… and we were alone. In a secluded cave. Alone.

He stayed frozen where he was, obviously thinking something very similar to what I'd just realized. He watched me intently, not pulling back or moving closer, just waiting. I leaned up into him and wrapped my arms around his neck and he hugged me back tightly. "You know..." He murmured quietly in my ear. "If we're like this much longer, Fall will miraculously come back, then rip us apart while accusing me of being vulgar."

I laughed and tightened my grip on him. "She'll have to pry me off you kicking and screaming." I looked up into his emerald green eyes. "I may not be good in a fight, but I can be a royal pain in the neck."

He chuckled deliciously. "You couldn't have done that any of the other times?" He gave me a doe-eyed look of innocence. "Fall would have given in."

"Of course not." I said with a grin. "All the other times you were being vulgar." I flicked him in the forehead and laughed softly. "But in an attractive way."

He grinned back. "What can I say? It happens naturally."

"The vulgarness or the attractiveness?"

The redhead laughed and I felt it reverberate throughout his body. "Both, I think."

I smiled deviously and dropped to the ground, pulling him down with me uncaring of the damp rocks that were now soaking through my pants. "I knew it."

He chuckled and he propped himself up over me. "Suddenly a cold damp cave doesn't seem so bad." Grinning his trademark grin, he added. "and maybe if we did start freaking out, Fall wouldn't be able to get us away from each other."

I laughed at the mental image of Mal trying to pry me from Puck while I was shrieking my head off, I think it would work! "Yeah, because we would want to put her and Mav through that." I leaned forward closer to the brilliantly green eyed Summer boy in front of me. "They'd have nightmares for the rest of their existences."

He laughed as he gazed at me. "Are you really all that scary-"

I cut him off when I closed the space between us and kissed him. The force behind me leaning into him caused him to lean back- losing his balance momentarily- but he immediately caught himself, fell silent, and closed his eyes. Kissing me back. We stayed like that for a time… me leaning forward, him perching in front of me.

Then I looped my arms around his neck and pressed myself closer to him, I wanted to kiss him until we were both breathless, then some more. He paused for a second as if wondering how this started, then wrapped his arms around me, pulling me to him tightly. I let him clutch me to his body, feeling the rapid beating of his heart through his shirt. Then I leaned up into him. He was hugging me pretty hard, but I didn't care, all I wanted was for him to not stop holding me.

A small sound escaped him and I laughed against his lips. "Need air?"

"No." He chuckled. "I would be fine with suffocating right about now…" He pulled me on top of him as he lay down on the ground. I stared into his gorgeous green eyes breathlessly, it occurred to me for the first time that they were like a trap. They pulled you in, then begrudgingly released your gaze again if you really struggled to look away… which I wasn't attempting to do anyways.

He stared up at me, then smiled. "You've got pretty eyes too you know."

I smiled back, unable to help myself. "What's so great about tree green?"

"Evergreen, actually. And everything. It makes you special since most Winters have boring green eyes." He paused. "Yours have to be special, because I find them very attractive."

At this, I felt myself blush. "Your eyes are nice too, I'm surprised you don't have a fanclub of adolescent mortal girls worshipping you."

"Why would I?" He smirked. "Not like I wouldn't want one, but I don't see how I could start a cult for looking good."

"If you had one, it would be because I started it…" I continued to blush. "Because I'd want to be president of it."

"You like little old me that much?" He smiled warmly at me and I stared at him.

"I demand the fifth." I felt all the blood in my body rush to my face and I choked on a giggle. "You'll never make me talk."

Puck studied me, then grinned evilly. "I'll get you to."

"Is that a threat?"

"Nah, I only threaten people I dislike, think of it more as…" He paused mid thought, then laughed. "A newly found motivation."

It was my turn to poke fun at him now, I smirked. "What? No promises? Are you afraid that you won't accomplish it and that you'll fade?"

"Me? Scared?" He scoffed. "No way, I just avoid promises." He smiled slightly. "Something you learn with age."