This is a one-shot that I wrote for a challenge over on TWA called the April Fools Challenge.

Parameters:

- fall between 3 and 6 k for words

- contain a twist

Enjoy!

In [too] deep

"Why can't you just do as you're told?"

"I will, I will." Leander stuffed the remainder of his breakfast, a biscuit, into his mouth. "The rabbits aren't going anywhere."

"And neither will you if you don't take care of them." His mother swatted him out the front door of the cottage. Leander loved taking care and going on rides with the rabbits. But his mom was on him about it all the time; she didn't understand the bond that they had.

"Hey guys," he called and whistled into the pasture that held the bunnies. Their ears twitched as they heard his call and all four turned and hopped toward him. Spot, the largest rabbit, pushed his way to the front to drop his head over the fence. The jet black rabbit with a single white spot on his back was always demanding attention.

"Spot, be nice to your friends." Leander rubbed the rabbit's large, twitching nose. Spot's ears flopped down in contentment and he leaned farther over the fence, causing the wood to creak. "Alright, alright. Take it easy. You can be first."

Leander continued over to the stable that housed the rabbits during the night and they followed him along the fence. He checked on their food and water supply before opening the gate and letting Spot out. The others wanted out also, but he shouldered them back with a laugh as they nibbled on his shirt and closed the gate.

"Alright, big guy. You got some energy today?" He reached up and stood on tip toe to stroke the rabbit's velvet ears. "You don't need a saddle do you? Those things are heavy and annoying, hm?" He petted the rabbit's plush coat before planting both hands on Spot's back and hopping up with practiced ease. The rabbit thumped on the ground, impatient to run free.

"Hold on." He patted Spot's side. "We better walk a ways or mom will see me and kill us both."
He maneuvered Spot around the cottage, towards the open meadows, hoping that his mom wouldn't see him.

The door to the cottage slammed open and his mom stood in the doorway, waving a broom menacingly. "Leander Frolickfoot! You put a saddle on that beast right now or so help me -"

But Leander didn't hear the rest of the sentence because he leaned low on Spots back, got a tight grip on his fur and gave him a quick nudge with his heels.

Spot was his fastest rabbit and they were out of there in a flash, the wind in Leander's ears drowned out his mother's curses. Leander stayed low while Spot sprinted across the grassy meadow, darted through the trees and went at a dead sprint through the next meadow.

Several minutes later, once they'd reached the foothills at the small mountain range that overlooked Leander's cottage, Spot slowed to a gallop. Leander sat up and grinned, letting the wind whip his long hair around his face and shoulders.

Spot went for the mountain, wanting to climb it, but Leander nudged him in the other direction, along the base. "Not today, buddy, maybe some other time."

As they ambled along the foothills, Spot's ears perked up and turned in the direction of the forest. "What is it, pal?"

It wasn't danger. The rabbit's tail was twitching and he was shifting his weight from foot to foot. He was excited.

A moment later, a beautiful red and yellow rabbit burst through the trees of the forest. An equally beautiful girl sitting on top. She was laughing in delight as her rabbit sped up the first hill. She hadn't seen them.

Both Spot and Leander stared longingly at the respective species as they started off in the distance. "It's Aviendha..." Leander breathed. She was his long time dream-love from the village, though he'd never worked up the nerve to speak to her, as she was always surrounded by handsome, wealthy suitors. Spot thumped his back foot impatiently, as if to say 'now is your big chance'.

He watched as they headed for the mountain, she was going to climb it. Leander patted Spot's shoulder, "I guess we're going for a climb after all." Leander allowed Spot to follow the girl on her bunny rabbit, but made sure they kept at a distance. She was obviously out for a joy ride and thought she was alone, he didn't want to spoil it.

They climbed the steep mountain slope for a long while, the rabbits enjoying the exercise and Leander enjoyed watching the sway of Aviendha's back as she balanced on her rabbit. Before he knew it, they were on a plateau; he'd never seen this place before. He sat up straighter on Spot and looked around. There was a cluster of trees off in the distance, against a sheer mountain face. Aviendha's rabbit headed for it at a quick gallop, Spot didn't need any encouragement to follow.

Leander continued to keep a safe distance as they entered the thick foliage. He could barely make out the shape of the girl and her rabbit in the thick forest. But the landscape lasted only for a little while before Aviendha broke through the trees and stood on the edge of a crystal clear pool, topped by a tall water fall that emerged from a crack in the rock face.

Leander kept Spot in the trees while the girl slid off her rabbit and went to the edge of the pool of water. The red and yellow rabbit drank from the pool while Aviendha dipped her fingers in the clear water. The pool was large enough that the ripples from the water fall had faded by the time they reached the edge and as she disturbed the surface, it shimmered at her, reflecting the green of the trees towering above and the blue of the sky beyond that.

"Want to go for a swim, Ambara?" She asked her rabbit in a clear and bright voice that made Leander smile and perk his pointed ears towards her. But rabbits didn't like to swim; instead Ambara, also saddle free, moved away from the pool to graze the tall grasses growing along the water's edge.

As Aviendha leaned over the water to dip her fingers in again, her long red hair fell over her shoulder and trailed in the water also. It was so appealing; Leander ran trembling fingers through his own silky hair to keep from reaching towards her.

She was incredibly beautiful, he felt privileged just to look at her. So many suitors had come calling for her but she'd never accepted any as far as he knew. Why not? Did she have a love already? Was she holding out for someone?

Aviendha finally straightened from the pool and he expected her to get back on her rabbit and continue her journey. But instead, she bent down and slipped off one soft boot, then the other. Leander gulped, surely she wasn't-

The tightly fitted riding tunic was next; her shoulders had been partially covered with the woven material before. But as she slipped it over her head, Leander had the full view of her graceful back and shapely shoulders. She turned slightly to hang her garment on a branch and he caught a glimpse of her small and perfectly shaped breasts. Leander hissed in a silent breath and knew he ought to leave. But he couldn't tear his eyes away.

She slipped her leggings down her equally perfect hips and pulled her petite feet free easily, hanging the fabric on the low branch. She wore nothing under the leggings, not many did. Her skin was perfect and gleaming as she made her way along the edge of the water. He was enthralled at the movement of her naked body as she carefully stepped over sticks and around rocks.

When she reached a large rock overlooking the water she looked up at it, found a footing and scaled it. Her smooth behind clenched as she used her well-formed, smooth muscles to climb the rock. From his spot in the trees he could only see her from behind so far. He wanted desperately to go to the other side to see her in her full perfection.

But when she reached the top of the rock, the sun reflecting off the water and brightening her skin, she looked like a moving marble statue with flowing red hair. She seemed to be happy just standing atop the rock surrounded by her own beauty, looking out over the pool and around. She turned slowly to survey the forest from her new position and Leander's breath caught in his throat.

There truly wasn't anything more beautiful than her exquisitely formed, hairless body, standing proud at full height. The ends of her hair whipped around in the breeze, circling and trailing around her breasts and back again. Leander knew he should leave; this was an incredible invasion of her privacy. But he just couldn't. He stroked Spot's fur to keep grounded while Aviendha completed her survey of the surroundings and faced the water again.

The girl backed up the few steps, to the very edge of the rock. Leander thought she was going to fall backwards, he almost rushed out to save her but she took two leaping strides forward and leapt off the edge of the rock, over the water in an elegant and streamlined dive, her body was one smooth line from the tips of the pointed feet to the elegant fingers.

Her body disappeared into the water with only the tiniest of splashes. She stayed under for several moments. Leander leaned forward worriedly, creeping Spot a tiny bit closer to the edge of the thick trees. But she surfaced before too long, right near the middle of the pool. Treading water she pushed the hair back from her face and peered up at the sun.

After swimming around the pool, diving under and popping back up again, she floated on her back for a time, and the parts of her body that peeked out of the water made his heart race. He was content just to watch her have a good time in the water. Eventually she got out of the water and scaled the rock again. Leander got the same magnificent view as before, but this time her skin gleamed and shimmered with the water that ran down her body in rivulets. Instead of jumping off the rock again, she sat down on the edge near the water, dangling her legs over the side and leaning back on her arms, exposing her face and chest to the sun.

He sighed quietly and wished desperately that he could court her. If only he had some money, wasn't a commoner, and had the courage.

"You may come out of the trees now." Her voice sweet and thick in his ears like syrup would have been in his mouth. He almost didn't register what she'd said, but when he did he froze like a stone, surely she didn't know he was there.

"Yes. You. On the black rabbit with one white spot who has been trailing me since the foothills. Come out."

His heart pounded in his ears and he couldn't even think. No, he couldn't show himself, he was a disgrace.

"You have invaded my privacy." She still was not looking in his direction, speaking only to the sky. "It is only fair that you show yourself. Please."

As if of his own volition, Spot made his way out of the trees, exposing Leander to the sun and into her view. She turned her torso to look at him. He swung his leg over Spot's shoulder and slid off, freeing the rabbit to prance over to Ambara and graze.

"Hello." She said, a warm smile on her face.

"H-h..." he fought to form a word but his eyes drifted across her perfect face and body and couldn't.

"I'm Aviendha."

"I-... I know. You are... from the village."

"I am. Are you?"

"I live in a cottage. A league away from the village."

"A commoner."

"Y-yes."

But this didn't seem to matter to her. Her expression didn't change."What is your name?"

She wanted to know his name? His own name? "Leander."

"Hmm. Leander." His name in her mouth was music in his ears. She looked back up at the sky. "It suits you."

"I...apologize for invading your privacy. I shouldn't have... But you are so beautiful. I could not leave."

"Do you work? At your cottage?"

It was a rather odd question, but he answered anyways. "I labor and do chores, yes."

"I can tell. You are not a soft village suitor with hands that have never seen the handle of an axe."

He gulped. "I have held an axe many times."

"And, Leander, my peeping tom. Are you of pure blood?"

"I am." He said proudly.

"Perfect skin? Shaped ears and hairless body?"

"Yes."

"Do you like to swim?"

"I... yes, though I have only even swam in the river, never a pool such as this."

"Would you like to swim with me? So that I may see you are truly of pure blood?"

He blushed deeply. She was absolutely comfortable in her body, because it was the picture of perfection for their kind. But for him, although he was pure of blood, years of labor had hardened his would be graceful lines with muscle. He was still long and lean, but not smooth and graceful like he knew the men that courted her were.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of, Leander, I can tell that your body is nicely shaped through your garments."

But once he had them off, she would be able to see the sharp angles and harsh edges.

"Please?"

He nodded, knowing it was only fair. Aviendha turned to look at him again, giving him another view of her striking body before he bent down to slip his feet free of his worn boots. He pulled his tunic over his head and put his fingers under the top edge of his leggings. Leander hesitated and then pushed them down, she had already seen the harsh muscles of his torso and his legs were just as bad. When he stood naked he looked up and found her gaze fixed on him.

She seemed amazed and surprised as she slid her feet back onto the rock and hopped down from to approach him. "...exquisite."

Without asking, she trailed a finger down his arm. Though the digit was cool, it left his skin on fire where it touched. She seemed to be fascinated with the lines of the muscles and stood close to examine them.

He was ashamed at his own body but knew it was only fair as she peered at his skin. Standing so close, her breast brushed against his arm, the skin silky against his caused him to close his eyes and bite back a moan.

"What is it?" She asked, her face close. "You seem ashamed of your body."

"It is not fit for your eyes."

"What do you mean? It is perfect."

His eyes snapped open. "But the lines-."

"Show that you work and can support yourself through your skills."

"The other suitors-."

"Are pure of blood," she finished for him and then added, "But none of them show off the features as finely as you do." She circled him and touched his back. "So many think that males must have smooth lines like woman. But that is untrue. In the days where only pure blood roamed, the men looked like this. Hard from labor, from training, from war, able to protect their woman. Not soft like today's noblemen."

She came back in front of him and touched his hair, running her fingers through the silken length before tucking it behind his pointed ear. "Yes... the ears. As perfectly shaped as I have seen." Her hand landed on his chest and moved down to his stomach and lower and she murmured, "And no hair... on your body. Yes, perfect. As I am."

When she looked into his eyes again he did his best to keep his gaze from straying. "My body is pleasing to your eyes, isn't it?"

If only she knew. "Yes. Yes, very."

"Yet you don't look at it. Or touch it."

He coughed, face surely red. "It is not my place."

"Nonsense. You are pure of blood, and I have touched you. It is your place. Though only if my body is to your standards. I know that my hips are judged too small by some, and my hair too dark. I would understand."

He gasped. "No! You are perfection. Everything. And your hair..." his hand came up and touched his finger tips to it. "Dark yes, but beautiful, like in the stories of the old time. Of the pure ones."

"And my body?"

She stood so close; her skin touched his like a feather teasing in the wind when she moved. Her hand slid up to his shoulder and he mirrored her, laying his hand on her skin. Her hand moved downwards on his torso, skimming down the rounded muscle that lay there. He copied her, as if he was no longer in control of his own hand. His palm curved around her breast and it fit perfectly in his hand. She went lower, along his ribs and he imitated, his hand glided along her ribs, waist and hip.

Her fingertips ran across his stomach to his belly button while he did the same, getting lost in the smoothness of her skin. As her hand moved downwards, so did his, but he wasn't following anymore, they were going the same pace. Her hand slid between his legs and cupped him boldly as he stood straight out from his body, aroused. He slid his hand between her legs and was met with incredibly soft, velvet skin that parted easily for him.

She held his gaze the entire time and the look of Pleasure and desire that crossed her face was more than he'd ever hoped for.

"You are so perfect," she murmured and she stroked him back and forth, causing him to intake a breath sharply.

Although his mind seemed clouded his hand still moved, stroking to match her pace and earning a warm wetness that made his fingers slippery.

"Come," she released him slowly and stepped towards the water. "Let's swim and enjoy each other's bodies."

He followed her as she waded into the pool and they were soon swimming across together, until they were under the waterfall. She hoisted herself out of the water; he used a hand on her buttocks to help push her up. He leveraged himself up after her and she stood under the spray behind the sheet of water, her entire body glistening.

Her smile invited him and her body posture begged to be touched. He followed her behind the waterfall and stepped a hand-width away from her, unsure of what to do. Aviendha closed the distance and wrapped her hand around him again.

"I am glad that you followed me today. Though I did not expect to end up here."

He gasped and dropped his forehead to her shoulder. "I have never..."

"I will show you."

She eased them downwards to lie down on the rock ledge, continuing to stroke him as they lay down and he settled between her legs. He looked between then and saw the supple skin between her legs open and waiting for him, he didn't need instruction from here.

Her hands on his lower back urged him to make the connection. And he did. But he wasn't ready for the Pleasure that shot up his spine and shocked his brain. He gasped and thrust again, only hearing her moan as if she was off in the distance.

But her hand in his hair brought him back to reality. Aviendha pulled him down towards her mouth and he found that her lips tasted as wonderful as they looked. As his hips moved back and forth, again and again, she deepened the kiss, pushing her tongue in his mouth with increasing fervor.

He started to lose his breath and tried to pull away. But Aviendha was demanding. She locked her legs around his hips, disabling his thrusts and used both hands in his hair to keep his lips against hers. Another bolt of Pleasure shot up his back and caused him to convulse.

As he began to run dangerously low on air, her tongue still searched the depths of his mouth. She rolled them over, off the ledge and into the water. His eyes popped open as they were engulfed and he tried to resurface. But her body was a dead weight around him and she was making no attempt to swim. Only her lips against his kept the water out of his mouth and he struggled, her eyes opened also. Staring straight into his.

There was something different behind her eyes now. The desire was still there, but it was clouded with determination and a sort of deviance that he'd never seen before. He fought to free himself but she was stronger than his oxygen deprived limbs could manage. As his struggles ceased and his gaze darkened she released his lips.

They had sunk to the bottom of the pool and his lungs begged for air. He had no choice but to inhale the water, feeling the weight of it in his lungs even though the rest of his senses where fading. As his vision continued to darken, shrouding him in blackness, he felt her finally disengaged from his hips. He caught the shadow of her body kicking to the surface. Now only the sun, flickering through the waves made it through the darkness in into his eyes.

But the darkness beat out the sun in another moment and the water filling his lungs, mouth, nose and ears suffocated him. Death came as an odd contrast to the Pleasure lingering throughout his body. He thought they would be at odds and that Death would win out eradicating Pleasure before he died completely. But Death and Pleasure killed him hand in hand, complementing each other nicely as his soul slipped away.

Author's Note:
Word Count 3,757

So. I hope you liked it and I hope that the twist was unexpected, it better have been because I didn't even know what the twist was until about two paragraphs before it happened! And why the giant bunnies, you ask? Well, here I am, trying to find a plot to write about for this challenge. I go through my MSN list and bother people for a plot, of course, everyone else is in the same boat. Until Nat silverbulletx says "giant bunnies" I don't remember what we were talking about but she said it, and I'm like ... YES.

And so I wrote. I think I finished the story in a few hours and had it off the ever wonderful Anna quistastic who worked her beta magic to help bring you what you read today. Props to her for being one of the few people that can get my to write description :P

Oh, also props to morwen_tiriel for searching long and hard to find me a suitable name for Leander. I had Zeke at first but then it bothered me beyond belief.

Anyways. Good luck to everyone else in the challenge, I hope you all decide to enter! I hereby vow that should decide to enter thy challenge and find thyself in need of a banner, I shall make you said banner befitting of a queen! (or king, whatevs)

Ok. Done rambling :P

I'd be interested to know what you guys think of this diff type of story from me :)