Heavy music reverberates up from the basement, where a dozen of his brothers and a few girls gather. One officer finally caved and cracked open the bar after two days of only movies and the odd entertainment to keep them all occupied. Since then, people have been alternating between drinking, dancing, the mini arcade, beer pong, and funnier activities upstairs for those who could.

Emerging from Kade's room after having disappeared after lunch with a fresh round of hickies on both their necks, Kade and Truly head downstairs to the basement, where they know most of the entertainment is. As they walk with their fingers interlaced together through the house, many throw glances, and a few even nudge each other and point.

Since the first morning when he'd locked down the row, a rumor's been spreading its way around the Psi house like wildfire. Supposedly some new girl managed the unthinkable and got herself betrothed to Kade Brovern, of all people. The idea is so wild most have started taking bets on whether it's true or if she's just his new flavor of the week. Their frequent disappearances into his room, where they come out looking freshly fucked, only fuels the flames. So does the fact Killian says he was there and saw it, while his roommate Hayden calls bullshit and says he didn't come home until after the storm had kicked in.

When they hit the basement level, Kade's eyes scan the room, noting who's down and doing what.

At the beer pong table, Killian turns with a big grin on his face. "Sparkles! Come join us!" He beckons for her to come over to where he's playing against his roommate Hayden and a handsome slender-faced man with his dreads tied back who's dressed in just a pair of jeans.

A brief thought of ignoring Killian passes through Truly's mind, but she quickly thinks better of it, knowing the man will only become louder and more obnoxious if she does. She's witnessed it firsthand by seeing Heather make that mistake. Reluctantly, Truly heads over to him. "Ye playing a game?" She eyes the cups of beer sitting on the table.

"My poor, sweet, innocent Sparkles." Killian touches the side of her face, the hint of beer instantly greeting her. "It's swill pong."

"Beera," the man across from him corrects with a Wintershall accent, though his is less distinct than the one who came to get Kade for the generator. That tells her he's from the lower side of the island, where the other islands influence it more. "No, let di Irish man fool yuh."

"Aye?" She knows exactly what the game is. She's been playing it with her Uncle Angus since she was three. Grant it, they used juice then. "A game where ye t'row a ball into a cup of beer?"

Coming up behind her, Kade presses into her back as his hand slides around her waist. "Yeah. If someone gets it in one of your cups, ya drink its contents." Kade's breath tickles her ear. "If you miss, you get one chance to redeem yourself or you lose."

A shiver runs through her. "T'at doesn't sound too hard." Truly leans back into him, enjoying the feeling of his arm wrapped around her.

"You haven't played against Sanka yet." He dips his head to the African Atlantean across from her.

"I canna help it if di gods fava me," Sanka tips his hands away from himself. "If it makes yuh feel betta, I get Hayden as me partna."

Hayden's eyes narrow as he turns towards him. "What the hell does that mean?"

"It means you suck." Killian grins at him.

"Fuck you." Hayden rolls his eyes at him only to run them over her and Kade. "So you in or what, Sparkles?"

"Aye, I'll play." Truly shrugs. "How hard can it be?"

Sanka grins. "Haard enuff plenty of dez fools end up drunk." His eyes flick up to Kade behind her. "Yuh playing next, Kade? I need a real challenge."

"Sure." Kade brings his lips to her ear and lowers his voice to a whisper. "Shit talk Hayden and it'll ruin his aim. He can barely hit the side of a barn."

Beside her, Killian snickers, having caught his advice.

Hayden's expression hardens, knowing it's likely about him. "Enough with the cutzy whispers."

Truly claps her hands together and rubs them vigorously. "Let's do t'is."

Picking up one of his balls, Sanka flicks his fingers. The ball bounces and perfectly lands into the cup, lightly splashing its contents. "Jink up."

Truly takes the half-filled cup and tips it back, choking on the disgusting liquid others dare to call beer. When she finishes, her lip curls up. "Ack, t'at's awful." A shiver runs through her as she sets the empty cup to the side and picks up her ball. It pings off the table and plops into one of the center cups. Truly jumps up and down in excitement as she raises her hands above her head. "I made it!"

Snatching her away from Kade, Killian spins her. "That's my baby Sparkles." He sets her down and lightly strokes her head. "Poor baby, the mean man made you drink swill."

"Hey," Sanka raises a brow. "Who yuh callin' mean?"

"You," Killian counters. "You poisoned my precious Sparkles!"

Sanka rolls his eyes. "Nuh let dis one get to yuh head gal. Di spirits chat tuh dat one too much."

Behind her, Kade tries not to laugh, knowing Sanka thinks Kill's got a few screws loose.

"Oi!" Truly frowns and rises on her toes to wrap an arm around Killy's shoulders. "T'at's me black-hearted daddy, yer talkin' bout. We Irish stick togetha." She flicks her hand between her and Sanka, showing she's watching him.

Grinning, Sanka shakes his head as Hayden grabs the cup with the ball in it and tips it back. Taking the ball, he throws it, barely making it in the cup.

Eyeing the cup, Killian's lip curls up, and he reluctantly picks it up. Ever the drama king, he pinches his nose and forces himself to gag it down, a violent shiver running through him as he does so. "Oh, me feckin' god. T'at's the vilest shite I've ever had."

Across from him, Sanka grins and elbows Hayden. "An there's di accent dat makes dis worthwhile di funny one I cann'a undastand."

Taking slight offense, Kill flicks him off. "Oh, like yers is any bloody better."

Sanka grins, knowing most foreigners find it hard to understand de Winta. "Trow Irish."

Kill takes the ball and tosses it, getting it in. Picking up his cup, Sanka drains it. "Ahh." He grins, throwing the ball and, to everyone's surprise, including his own, misses.

"Ha!" Killian throws his hand up and points to them both. "Redeem thy selves."

Beside Sanka, Hayden picks up a ball and throws it. The ball lands in a cup but with a spin allowing Truly to flick it out.

"Fuck!" Hayden curses.

Beside him, Sanka blinks a few times before he turns his eyes on Kade.

"Yuh teached her 'ow ta play dis, didn't yuh? Dat was a flick, and a good one at dat."

Truly huffs. "He didn't teach me nothin'. Ye wanna try again?"

"No." Sanka shakes his head and takes a step back. "I kno when di luck 'as left me. Yuh 'ave fun with yuh man."

"Aye aye." Tru salutes. "What about ye?" Truly wiggles the ping-pong ball between her fingers to Hayden. "T'ink ye can take a lass?"

Hayden scoffs. "In my sleep."

"Yer a confident one. Willing to make a wager t'en?" She raises a taunting brow.

"Any day, sweetheart."

"Aye? What say ye to a hundred euros?" Her lip curls up.

Hayden balks, and even Killian throws her a weird look at the hefty amount.

Stepping up against her back, Kade's fingers slide against her side. "Normal bets around twenty-five U.S., sometimes up to fifty, but that's rare."

"Ugh, fine." Truly sighs. "I didn't t'ink ye'd wimp out though, but I guess if ye t'ink ye'll lose, we can do twenty."

Hayden's jaw ticks. "I'm in." His eyes flick to a pledge. "Fill the cups."

Truly bites back a smile as she bounces the ping pong on the table and catches it. "Ye want to take the first go?"

Hayden snatches up a ball and bounces it a few times in his hand before he throws it, nailing her cup, a smirk crossing his lips when he does.

Truly picks up the cup, and much to her ire downs the shitty beer before taking her shot and hitting it perfectly.

Removing the cup, Hayden takes a sip and throws the ball in, sinking it into her cup.

Truly picks it up, and while she chugs, she takes her ball and bounces it off the table, landing it perfectly in the beer that Hayden is holding in his hand. "Ooo," her eyes go wide as those watching join in.

"Man..." One of their brothers laughs. "She just burned you!"

"I t'ink t'at maybe a dead man's cup, aye?" Truly bites the tip of her tongue as a broad smile crosses her face.

"Aye." Kade agrees as Hayden throws his cup and walks off.

Killian sniffs and pretends to wipe away a tear. "Not even a full Uni yet and my black-hearted Sparkles is robbing men blind." He presses his fits beneath his sternum. "Your mum's gonna be so proud."

Truly snorts. "Probably as proud as me real mum was when she found out I knew how to play. I swindled me brother out of two hundred euros at sixteen."

Killian's eyes widen. "You've met your brother?!"

Kade slides his arm back around her. "Depends. Have you found your pledge yet?"

Kill lifts a finger and opens his mouth to counter Kade with a logical reason why that's not possible when his eyes widen, and he points out the boy who brought her dress and three-rope. "There!"

Truly eagerly turns to see this infamously lost pledge.

Behind her, Kade scowls. "That's mine."

Seizing the opportunity before him, Killy turns an accusing gaze on Truly. "How can ye not even know yer own brother, Sparkles? It was your job ta mind him." He crosses his arms. "He's younger than ye."

"Is he?" Truly raises a brow. "And exactly how old is me younger brother?"

Killy throws her an unamused look. "You know I can't answer that. I'm not even sure how we created you yet, much less how quickly you age. I mean, you're three weeks old and already married!" He points a finger at her. "But don't think I don't see ye nursing on me Guinness from time ta time!"

At the married comment, several eyes turn onto Truly and Kade, eager to see their reactions.

"Feck me sideways, Killy." Truly groans at the pissed Irishman. "Could ye have said any louder? I don't t'ink Wintershall heard ye."

Not liking her sass, Killy gives her the same look he gave Heather right before he upped his volume just to spite her.

"Don't ye dare." She growls out as she points a warning finger at him. "I have four older brothers. I can take ye."

"Marry them off and they start sassing ye." He cuts her a disapproving look. "And I only have one pledge. Who's the father of these others Uni's been making them with?"

Truly rolls her eyes, "Drag me to t'e deep. How Heather put up with ye, I'll never know."

"Cause I'm great at what I do." Kill scoffs. "Now I need a real feckin' beer to wash my mouth out with and a lass to ease me heart."

"And what about me mum?!" Truly smirks. "Ye going to cheat on her right in front of me." Truly holds a hand to her chest. "Me heart can't take it, daddy."

Kill scoffs. "I'm sure you'll find comfort in Kade. Don't think I haven't heard ye, missy. Your mother would be blushing."

Truly turns three shades of red. "I really am gonna kill him."

"Is it true?" A pretty blonde Zeta Epsilon named Bethany Kade slept with before demands. "Are you seriously engaged to him?" The look on her face tells Tru she finds it very hard to believe she could snag a boy like Kade. "It's been going all over the house for days."

Truly's eyes narrow on the girl as her Irish temper gets the better of her. "Noh, we aren't engaged."

Bethany's lips smugly purse, taking it as she's just a fling.

"We're married, ye strumpet." Truly flicks her off, calling the girl the Atlantean version of a whore.

The whole room quiets as their attention shifts to Kade, his brother's seeking quiet confirmation of her statement.

Feeling all their eyes on them, Kade's attention drops to her. "What happened to keeping it quiet?"

"Feck my sideways," Truly mutters to herself, realizing she let her temper get the better of her.

"Tell me she's mad as a hatter, Kade." Bethany crosses her arms and leans back, clearly livid about being called a whore by a damn island whore herself.

Here goes nothing. "She's not."

"Yuh tied di knot?" Sanka pushes his way forward, having gone to the bar.

"Aye." Kade's eyes flick to his friend. "We're hand fasted."

Bethany scoffs and rolls her eyes, muttering under her breath that's not even a thing.

Pushing out of a booth where he was making out with a girl, Griffin, who shares the bathroom with Kade, throws a look of disbelief at his fellow American. "It is here, bitch. Welcome to Atlantis!"

Bethany stiffens as she stands straighter, throwing him a glare before she stomps upstairs and hopefully out the front door.

"Congratulations bredda." A grin crosses Sanka's face as he lifts a glass in the air. "Yuh show dat curse it nuh a match for yuh. Now let's kick dis party up. We gotta fasting tuh celebrate. Sumbody find di cook."

As the attention moves off them, Truly's nose scrunches up. She turns toward Kade with a grimace on her face. "I'm sorry." This isn't the first time her temper has gotten the better of her, and it usually follows a good verbal lashing from one of her family members when it does happen.

"It was coming anyway." Kade's hands drop low on her back as his gaze flicks between her eyes and lips. "I knew there were bets being made. I just thought you wanted it hush."

"Aye, until I told me family, but." She throws her hands out to the side. "Now it looks like I'll be figurin' out a way to tell them sooner rather t'an later." I just have to figure out how to do it without making meself a widow.

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