DISClaimer: I'm not Stephenie Meyer. I make no profit from this.
I don't own Marmite, and make no profit from it, but all the mentions of it are also dedicated to badwolfrose... (still)

Hope you enjoy this.

-x-

Famous last words, no doubt.

-x-

Max's POV

I rolled my eyes and snatched the jar from the pair of them.

"Check it! English wants to go first!" Quil laughed. I frowned and folded my arms, shaking my head.

"You'll be sick. The pair of you will."

"We won't" Quil repeated, "How many times do I have to tell you?"

"Nine million," I retorted, "You don't even know what's in there." He picked it up and read the ingredients aloud. "You facetious bastard."

"Thanks." He smirked. "Come on. If you're so sure you'll be sick, I dare you to try it."

"Excuse me?"

"You've been dared," Emily said it like it was law, "You've gotta do it, Max."

"What? You're saying it like it's-"

"Oh, come on, for a laugh-"

"But-"

"Max…" Jacob sent me a warning look. I took it to mean that getting wolves mad would lead to dangerous situations for the human. "Go on, I'm betting on you."

"What, another night in the heels, Jake?" Collin kicked at Jacob's feet and laughed. "Lovely shoes by the way, man."

"Thanks, dude," He grinned and laughed as he caught my eye, raising his eyebrows as a challenge. I wrinkled my nose and held out my hand for a spoon. "Good girl." He laughed.

"Don't patronise me." I retorted, taking a spoonful of the stuff and sticking it into my mouth. I felt slightly sick at the volume of it, but managed to swallow every last bit. "Lovely." Then the flavour really hit, I coughed violently and half choked. The boys sat laughing for about twenty-five minutes.

Quil looked at the pot slightly apprehensively as it came to his turn.

"We do it together," He said to Embry.

"Guys, it's not like… you're gonna jump off a building. It's Marmite. It's all good." I said, "Besides, you can't have the girl taking it on all on her own, and you guys are too chicken to do it…"

"Fine." I had goaded him sufficiently. He snatched the spoon from the carpet and stuck it into the thick gloop, then held it up and placed it firmly into his mouth with a huge smirk. He grinned, not even choking as he swallowed it and licked the spoon. "That was Lovely." He smirked. "Actually, it was quite nice."

"Really?" Embry butted in, grabbing the jar from him, Quil fought back with everything he had, "Gimme-"

"Don't fight, guys." Emily interjected softly, "That's Max's favourite." I blushed and she smiled at me widely.

"Sorry Maxxie," Quil smirked again. It was all I could do not to punch him, though I had some ideas that that would be a stupid thing to do. He laughed and handed the jar back to Embry, smiling. "There you go, Emb', you should like it…" There was something in his eyes that told me the truth would be exactly the opposite. I smirked and watched him take a huge mouthful of it.

And waited for the hell to break loose. He balked, paling slightly and pressing his lips together in an attempt to hold back the retch with a loud squeak. Quil had pressed his hand over his mouth, trying to hold in his hysterical laughter as he watched Embry choke, holding his breath and going pink.

Jacob and Collin were giggling like schoolgirls, clutching at each other, Jared and Kim even pulled away from each others lips to have a look at the spectacle in front of them. Emily was keeping her face straight; I was sitting, biting my lip and holding my breath, trying to stop myself laughing.

Embry sat giggling as well when he had managed to drink enough water to clear the choking.

"It's kind of strong."

"It's fantastic," Quil laughed.

"I like it," I grinned, "But obviously… you don't." Embry laughed.

"I guess not." He frowned. "Oh well. You guys got your laughs."

"We did," Jacob grinned, "We did."

-x-

At quarter past one, far later than I thought it was, I wandered up the stairs into Seth's bedroom, half expecting him to be sitting on the bed, laughing happily. I was met with the empty room, dark even though the curtains were open.

I sat down on the duvet and pulled the envelope that had been in the bag out of the paper and looked at the card.

It was lovely, small and birthday-ey. I opened it up and smiled.

Seth's handwriting was big, spiky and boyish, though not as messy as mine was. He had written the card with care, I assumed, as there was quite a long message in the centre. I sat back and looked at it, letting his voice fill my head through his words.

Dear Mackenzie,

Happy 20th birthday! I know you'll open this early, but… still, happy birthday! I hope you have a good one, I'll try and make it fun for you.

It's going to sound pathetic, but even though I've only known you for a few days, but I feel so comfortable around you, and I hope you feel the same. (there's not a lot of space in here, is there?) … I feel like I know you, Max, and I know you well enough to be myself around you.

I hope you know it's not just the imprinting thing either. What I feel, I know, deep down, is… right, I guess, and I don't want to waste a second of it… especially when… I think I love you.

Happy birthday!

All my love, Seth.

He's so sweet! I sit, reading it over and over, the wide grin on my face spreading as I read the last phrase again. I think I love you. I think it would be daunting if he wasn't so sure, if he wasn't so honest with me. I knew there was something in my mind that told me he was right for me too, my heart leapt when he touched me, and when I had kissed him the day before yesterday, when he'd kissed me last night, as he'd given me the marmite, my stomach had turned over in such a pleasant, happy way. It was lovely.

I grinned to myself as I thought about it, staring down at the card.

"Happy, are you?" I looked up to see Leah in the doorway.

"Yes, thank you." I replied just as frostily. She pressed her lips together, tightened her eyes and frowned at me.

"Good." another pause, "You know, just 'cause you're my brother's imprint, doesn't mean I like you."

"I didn't say you had to like me," I replied, half wondering why she was still there when she clearly didn't want to talk. "In fact, I'd say," I paused, not willing to antagonise her, "I hadn't said anything at all."

Her expression darkened and I looked down, determined not to get her mad. It didn't seem to be working.

"Bitch." She spat as she walked away. Don't rise. Don't rise, Max, you know she wants you to… don't rise. Don't rise!

"Mmm." I intended for that to be the end of it. She had other ideas.

"Excuse me?" She turned with an odd expression on her face, somewhere between amusement and fury.

"I said Mmm." I replied, louder this time.

"Right." She nodded and slammed the door behind her. Five minutes later, she returned with two glasses and an unopened bottle of wine. She thrust one glass at me, a small smile playing about her lips.

"What's this?" I was immediately suspicious.

"I figured… maybe… if we're gonna hate each other, we may as well enjoy ourselves."

"You're not trying to poison me, then?"

"No." She laughed, honestly, this time, and smiled at me, "I'm starting to like you already." Her smile faded slightly, "And Seth said it was your birthday."

"Well, tomorrow…"

"Tomorrow's today, Max - it's nearly two AM." She opened the wine and looked at me. "Happy birthday, um… Mackenzie." She sounded genuinely shy, not meeting my eye as she poured the drinks.

"Thanks," I bit my lip, "Leah." She nodded and necked her glass in one. I nearly gasped, but held my breath for long enough to let it pass.

"I still don't like you." She was suddenly stern faced again, "But still… I don't hate you, do I?"

Seth's POV

I get back to the house and go upstairs, ultimately, my goal was to get straight into the day, wish Max a happy birthday, take her to breakfast somewhere, then to wander around the reservation for an hour or so with her and relax. To try and make it her best birthday ever.

I stepped into my room and closed my eyes as I smelled her scent from all the way across the room - strawberries and cream. Padding forward, I watched her sleeping, a huge grin on her face. Her hair was set in dark blonde, natural waves, splayed out all around her head, and it was arched almost carefully over the pillow. Her lips were slightly parted, but were a dark scarlet from a gleam of sunlight streaming in between a gap in my curtains. She looked so perfect, frozen like sleeping beauty in that perfect second. I took a deep breath and crept towards her, sitting down on the duvet, stripping down to a pair of shorts and curling up next to her, smiling to myself.

I bet I didn't look a patch on Max, who was so beautiful in the darkness of my room, frozen in her sleep. I was covered in mud and dirt, sweat streaking the filth away. There was never any time to shower, but I'd do it later, when she was busy. I just didn't want to move, I wanted to watch her, to smile as she smiled and know she was there.

It wasn't imprinting. The gravity I felt towards her was caused by it, that I knew, the desire, the obsession to be with her was enhanced by the imprinting, I knew that too, but the friendship between us, forged by such a random event… that couldn't be imprinting.

In a sudden fit of movement, she twisted towards me, her arm finding its way around my torso. Effectively, she had trapped me - I was physically strong enough, smart enough to break her grip and move away, but I just didn't want to. Her breath tickled my neck as she sighed, and I mirrored her, biting my lip.

I felt my eyes closing, tried to fight it, tried to hold onto the feeling of aliveness that being beside her brought me, tried to scrabble around for the last shreds of my desire to watch her sleeping, but my exhaustion won the battle.

"Night Max." I said, my speech slurred with sleep, even though I knew it was half past eight in the morning, and today was a brand new day.

-x-

A/N: Please review and let me know how I did... :P

I'm really glad you all like it... so i'd appreciate more feedback...

And i'm really, really happy that you keep reading :)

Love you guys

xxx