Getting married to Axel in Vegas had not been part of the plan. If he had a say in the matter, Elias would never do something as stupid as getting married ever again. Considering how his first one ended. When he thinks about the reasons why he has not signed the damn documents, Elias can’t come up with a logical one. Except for the truth and the truth is that he doesn’t want to sign them. Why that is? That is something that Elias himself can’t quite understand yet. Or he’s not ready to accept yet. But Axel is standing there, demanding answers and all Elias can do is count between teeth. ❝ Nineteen, twenty, twenty-one….❞ Of course he knows how delicate Axel is and how this reaction from him is nothing short of aggravating. Ever since they got back he has been trying to remember what happened. How they ended up in such a situation? How they went from partying at Erica’s to waking up at The Cosmopolitan with a bunch of naked strangers and a complimentary newlywed breakfast. Which, I might add, was fucking delicious. Perfectly cooked egg florentines, a lobster frittata with caviar that was probably worth more than his entire wardrobe, a bottle of Dom Perignon and a jar of freshly squeezed orange juice to make mimosas with. Because all happy occasions come with mimosas. His mouth still waters just thinking about it. But as much as he tries to trace back their steps that led them to the chapel, he comes out blank. He’s just really curious to know whose idea it was. Judging by his desire to not sign the paperwork to make this marriage void, he’s starting to think it had been his.
Then Axel is at eye level. Telling him something he already knows. So he stops because of how distracting it is to have him there. Staring at him so close. After a sigh, he drops his knees and comes up to a kneeling position. ❝ Yeah Axel, I get that I’m not an idiot. ❞ Should be cause for alarm, right? Start panicking. Yet, he’s surprisingly calm and has been through this entire thing. ❝ I just figure if I’m going to be married to someone it might as well be you. Takes the pressure off, you know? ❞ This is stupid. He realizes it when he looks at him. Because Axel is staring back at him like he’s gone insane. Perhaps he has. Perhaps he has finally snapped. Perhaps this whole Stephanie thing is affecting his judgment. Maybe if she takes the journal to the police and he ends up getting the electric chair or the fucking needle it wouldn’t be so bad if he’s there. Not that he’d abandon him. Or maybe he would. Wouldn’t want the bad publicity, right? Maybe it’s a more selfish reason. Maybe he just wants a one up on Topher. who the fuck knows? What he knows is that he’s exhausted and just looking at him hurts. He sighs, falling back to rest his spine on the machine behind him. One knee up, the other stretched out in front of him. ❝ Fine, I’ll sign them. You want me to sign them - I’ll sign them.❞
there must be something he’s missing here. some kind of subtle sign that elias is giving off and that axel hasn’t picked up on just yet. there has to, for he can’t think of any other logical explanation as to why his best friend didn’t sign the divorce papers first, or why he’s on the ground doing push ups instead of having this conversation face to face with him. it doesn’t make any sense. in that moment, axel once again realizes that he’s never met anyone as complicated as elias duval. ten years of friendship and it still wasn’t enough for him to fully understand the other male. ten years. it’s crazy to think about that. he wouldn’t give most people ten days, getting bored of them quickly and moving on to the next one, until this asshole showed up and literally changed everything. so yeah, maybe axel is a tad annoyed at the fact that he can’t figure him out. it should be easy. at the very least, it shouldn’t be so hard. now, on top of it all, he’s married to that same asshole. and god, how aggravating is it that there’s a part of him, a small one that he keeps under wraps ( or tries to ), isn’t sure he actually wants a divorce at all? it’s insane. he doesn’t even remember getting married. that should be enough sign that they had to get a divorce ─ and it was, for the most part, except for that annoying little part of him. perhaps that was why he had signed the paperwork so quickly. it’s not a thought he wants to indulge. truthfully, it makes him feel pathetic.
he realizes another thing, too. that he’s played himself by getting closer. it was so much easier to put his focus elsewhere when there was more distance between them, but now that he’s kneeling down in front of elias, he has privileged view now. it’s easy to understand why elias has so many people stumbling over each other in order to get a fraction of his attention. he’s seen him in action. not only is he charming and good with words, the guy also has a lovely physique. great in bed, too. right now, the light is hitting him at the right spots and he looks damn near irresistible and axel hates it. good thing he’s had years of experience when it comes to resisting elias, or he might have pounced on him right then and there and forgotten all about the reason why he’d come here in the first place. right. the divorce. ❝ there’s no pressure. ❞ he says that but he understands. marriage is not something axel has ever seen in his future, but if he was going to be married to someone, it might as well be elias. he can relate. they are different sides of the same coin, really. not that axel voices any of this. there’s a pause after his friend’s last words as he processes them, fully dropping to the ground and sliding back until his back hits another machine. he’s still facing elias, but there’s some distance has been established between them again. it’s a relief and a nuisance at the same time. ❝ what ─ you don’t want to sign them? ❞ yeah, he doesn’t believe that. doesn’t expect an actual answer either. ❝ seriously, what is it? you gotta know that you’ll only get a headache from this marriage, so what is the problem? ❞
