Elyse is trying very, very hard not to sulk.

She woke up this morning feeling heavenly with Pax curled around her like a koala, and his upper torso was bare so she stroked her fingers down the line of his back and he shivered, breathed in her ear to, "Fucking stop that."

She smiled kissing him good morning and then he slapped her butt while she got up from his bed in just his shirt and underwear.

And then he went to the bathroom while she got dressed in his sweatpants and her smile faded when his phone kept pinging.

ass brother 2: dipshit

ass brother 2: are u fucking showing up to my fucking wedding this weekend or not

ass brother 2: arden keeps fucking annoying me abt your date u still havent plused one fucking hell stop stressing her out u fucking little shit

Her first thought: Did all Sandejas boys talk like this?

Her second: Oh.

Elyse stops highlighting her book, sighing. Her boyfriend is right behind her and she knows he's staring at her, and she can just turn around after class and ask him, "What are you doing this weekend?" but then if he answers something different she'd feel sad, which will mean that he doesn't want her to come to his brother's wedding.

Surely, if he wanted her to be his date, he should have said something by now? Pax has had plenty of opportunity—this morning, even.

It's so stupid to feel sulky over a non-invitation, but Elyse can't help it. She loves weddings. She loves dressing up and dolling herself up and she loves dancing—surely the formal she coaxed Pax to going last week would have told him that?

And...it might be too fast, but Elyse wants to meet his family, too.

She sighs again, and then finds out she doesn't have time to think about what she's going to do before lecture ends and she carefully packs up her things slowly. She knows Pax will be waiting for her to kiss him before she leaves.

Elyse puts on a smile when she turns to his row as the room clears, and almost squeals when Pax pulls her by her waist in between his legs. She hears him break the candy with his teeth in his mouth.

"When's Pax fucking time today?" he asks lowly, hands sliding over her sides, hips, back.

Elyse, despite her annoyance with him, can't help but smile. He's very, very clingy.

She brushes his hair away from his forehead and teases, "You just wasted it this morning."

He glares at her, obviously not finding it funny.

Elyse can't help but laugh. "I'll have to text you."

"Yes, see, you don't fucking do that," Pax snaps.

She cups his cheeks and coos, "Aw, is the big baby mad when Elyse doesn't text him?"

"Fuck off." He slaps her hands away with a glare, his ears red.

Sigh. He's so cute. Elyse has never dated anyone who wants her attention and time this much.

"I have an invitation to drinks tonight after practice from some fucking annoying pests," Pax says, pulling her closer, tilting his head up, and Elyse's face begins to flame when his mouth is in level with her chest. "Come with me, it's right across the fucking café."

She's still annoyed with his non-invitation. "I'm busy, so I'll—Pax!"

Elyse pushes his shoulders in shock when her boyfriend bites her through her top. Jesus. "The fuck you mean you're busy," he snaps. "That's not the fucking answer I'm looking for." He moves his head to bite the other one.

Elyse pushes him, cheeks flaming. "That's the answer you're going to get." Until you invite me, you annoying dick. "Behave."

Pax rolls his eyes, jaw tight, and then pulls her by the neck to kiss her.

His candy is in her mouth when she leaves.

*

i fucking miss you

ill come get u pls fucking spend time with me

do me instead of whatever the fuck it is youre doing pls love

FUCK i knew it i knew you werent gonna fucking text stop ignoring me JESUS CHRIST

She's actually standing outside the bar already. Those consecutive texts have been sent during the last hour while Elyse was contemplating on whether to show up.

In the end, she wants to see Pax and ask him directly. She told herself she has no right to feel hurt for whatever reason he's going to give—if there was a reason. If he simply doesn't want her to come, then she'll respect that and accept it, too.

Even though he's wrong. She's the best date he could bring to a wedding.

Elyse takes another deep breath before she pushes the door open.

Pax is tall and broad with dirty blonde hair and he looks like he can hold everyone hostage here with his stare, so it's not hard to find him.

Elyse stops when she sees not one—but two women hanging off him. Sticking to his side, head on his shoulder. Hand around his arm. What the hell.

They're—they're very pretty, too, but so is Elyse.

She'll kill them first. And then Pax.

Elyse puts on her sickly sweet smile and stalks forward. "Hi. I don't know you and you don't know me, but it's probably the best idea for everyone here to get your hands off my boyfriend before I go batshit crazy."

Pax is staring at her, and his wide grin from seeing her slips off slowly. "They're not—"

To her surprise, the two women look at each other and shake their head profusely, almost laughing at the absurdity and ridiculousness of what she just said, and they look...disgusted?

"Sorry, oh my God," the pretty one with the darker complexion and gorgeous black hair says immediately, shaking her head and standing up, and she smiles at Elyse. Smiles! "Sorry, but I—well." She holds up her hand and shows her a ring. "I'm Arden. And...it would be weird to hit on him being engaged to his brother, right?"

"And being married to his other brother. Hi, I'm Blaise," the other girl to her right pipes up, smiling brightly. Elyse is momentarily blinded by her beauty.

Oh. Oh. "Oh my God." Elyse closes her eyes in horror and mortification, shoving her face in her hands. She's always confident of herself, always self-assured, and this—this humiliation in front of her boyfriend's family—she wants to crawl in a hole and die.

Right now.

"I'm so sorry, oh my God, I—" She can't bear to look at them, to look at Pax, oh God. "I'm just gonna go—" Elyse turns around.

"No, fuck, stay." His arms are around her before she can leave, his lips brushing her shoulder.

"Pax, you little shit, you didn't tell your girlfriend it was us you're drinking with?" Blaise says, knocking back her shot before she stands up, tears Elyse away from Pax and hugs the life out of her. "Oh my God, we've been dying to meet you. You're so gorgeous, what the hell."

"And we're so sorry for what you saw," Arden tells her, pulling her into a bone-crushing hug as well. Elyse can't breathe. "Pax is our little brother, but we'll tone it down. We're really sorry."

"No, no, no." Elyse wants to cry. Why are they apologizing to her?! "Please don't, it's completely fine, you're close with him and I—I just reacted without thinking. You're his family, I'm just—"

Blaise laughs loudly, dragging her to the bar. "Oh, honey, trust me, we would go batshit crazy too if anyone touches Yvo or Kol."

"Stop fucking stealing her, Jesus," Pax says behind her, and then his arms go around her waist and he drags her to his lap. Turns her face towards him to greet her with a kiss. "You came," he breathes, happy.

"I'm sure you made it happen," Arden says. Blaise laughs.

"Fuck, shut up!"

"Hey," Elyse snaps at him, furrowing her eyebrows. "Don't talk to your older sisters like that."

Pax glares at them and shuts up.

"Oh, this is fucking gold!" Blaise shouts, laughing, signaling for the bartender. "Give me some vodka, we're welcoming another sister to the family!"

"She can't get drunk," Pax says, and then proceeds to watch her alcohol all night.

Arden and Blaise are sweethearts. They're so—they're so cool, kind, and sweet and Elyse feels comfortable even though she literally just met them a few hours ago. She loves how close Pax is with them, loves their sibling relationship with her boyfriend. Elyse can only imagine how they put their respective Sandejases in place.

Pax sees Elyse yawn and whispers in her ear, "You tired?"

She doesn't want to leave yet, but she is. She gives him a smile. "It's okay, I can—"

"We're fucking done." Pax gently hauls her to her feet and takes her hand. "Need to get my girl to bed."

The two ladies follow them outside. They're still staying for a few, and Pax frowns at this. "Fuck no, the assholes will kill me if I leave you two alone."

"Dane and Arlo are inside, don't worry." To Elyse, Blaise grins and says, "Dane is my best friend and Arlo is Arden's brother. They're...also protective of us."

She appreciates that they recognize Elyse is just a new addition to their little group and they don't mind that they have to explain who's who—they're the kind of friends who hate leaving people out of the conversation and Elyse loves that.

"Can you just fucking text me once you're home?" Pax mutters, scowling.

Arden waves him away. "Yeah, yeah, go get your asses to bed. Ah!" She grabs Elyse's arm and smiles brightly at her. "You're coming to my wedding, right? Yes, you are, I'll hunt you down if you don't."

"Oh, I don't know," Elyse says with a sweet smile. "Pax hasn't said anything."

"What!" Arden pinches his ear.

"FUCK, fucking hell!" Pax growls.

"Anthony Pax Sandejas!" Blaise scolds. "How could you not invite your darling girlfriend to your brother's wedding!"

"JESUS, FUCK, let go!"

Elyse bites her lip and takes pity on him. "I think he gets it."

Arden lets go with a push, glaring at him. Switching to Elyse, she grins again and hugs her. "I'll see you on Sunday at my wedding," she says through her teeth, still grinning. "I'm so glad we met, Elyse. I love you already."

Blaise also hugs her tight and they all exchange numbers before they hug Pax and ruffle his hair.

Pax's jaw is clamped shut while they walk back to campus.

Elyse sighs. "It's okay if you don't want me to come."

Her boyfriend stops abruptly and faces her. His face is angry. "What the fuck are you talking about."

Elyse raises an eyebrow. "Your brother's wedding."

Pax looks at her like she grew two heads. "Of course I want you to fucking come. I just...my whole fucking family will be there and I didn't want to fucking scare you off or some shit."

Sweet, dumb boyfriend. Elyse cups his cheek and sighs. "What do you take me for, Pax? I'm not the type to get scared over that."

He leans down and brushes his lips over hers. "Mm. You're a fucking bold one."

There's a laugh under that statement that he doesn't expound on because he presses his lips to hers.

"I actually want to," Elyse whispers, sliding her hands under his shirt and Pax hisses from the touch. "Besides, I love weddings."

"Of course you fucking do." His lips twitch. "Will you be scaring off all the women who breathe near me?"

Elyse's cheeks flush.

"My aunts?"

"Shut up." Elyse lets go of his hand and walks away, hugging herself. This is embarrassing, he's embarrassing her!

Pax is laughing behind her, that asshole. "What about my grandmothers?"

"Shut up!" She quickens her pace and heads to her dormitory, running up the stairs.

"Wait, fuck, I'm sorry, wait—!"

Elyse shuts the door in his face. "No cuddles for you."

"It was fucking hot, okay!" Pax shouts angrily outside. "I would've gotten hard if it wasn't directed at my fucking sisters!"

"Goodnight, Pax."

"Elyse!"

She grins and heads to her bathroom, humming.

On her bed, she gets a text. FUCKING FINE FUCK

Elyse laughs out loud. He's throwing a tantrum! you have thirty seconds to get back here

She laughs harder when she hears him running up the stairs.

*

Yvo and Kol Sandejas are...tall.

They also look like they can commit actual homicide.

Yes, even on Kol Sandejas's wedding day.

Pax's parents are sweet—his dad quiet and his mom vibrant, but sweet, and of course, so are Arden and Blaise. During the ceremony, Pax strokes his thumb over Elyse's hand and kisses her shoulder. She sees Yvo brush his finger over Blaise's ring, too.

Elyse is surprised Kol didn't say one single 'fuck' in his vows. Arden probably made him erase them.

Pax dances with her even if he acts annoyed about it and for that, he deserves a reward once they return to his room.

Also. He looks handsome as hell, but if he tears her dress, she's going to kill him.

It's not supposed to be her in her thoughts while her boyfriend runs his hands over her, hoisting her on the desk, but she has priorities, damn it, and Pax almost always tears off her branded and expensive clothes!

Pax's touches are always impatient and never lingering, always needy and lustful with his sighs and groans and hands and mouth, like he can't get enough of her.

Elyse also wants her dress off, but she wants it off in one piece. Hanging over the chair, not on the floor.

"Fucking dress," Pax mutters, sliding the zipper down, and he's demanding with his mouth and hands when her bra falls off, too. Elyse digs her nails into his shoulders and almost gasps when he falls to his knees, bunching her skirt up to her hips and yanking her underwear down.

Elyse reaches back to pull the rest of the zipper down, but Pax slaps her hands.

She groans. "Take it off, please, please."

"Fuck no." Pax laughs and slaps her thighs, making her yelp. "You have no fucking idea how many times I've wanted my head and myself under your fucking skirt, how many times I've wanted to ruin you."

So he doesn't end up tearing her dress apart...just her. And her underwear.

Damn it.

*

kol and arden are married my babies !!!