} two b i r d s of a feather

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The harsh winter of New York sent a snowstorm whirling in Keani Beldivere's direction that morning. She woke early, unable to sleep from the excitement of seeing Elijah Hayes. Regardless of her self-interest and undeniable lust for self-preservation, she was truly beginning to like him. In fact, she considered how nice it would be if he could just stick around. Seemingly simple-minded, Elijah had become a huge part of her life with his humor and unintentional wisdom. It seemed that his greatest moments were serendipitous. He was quirky, yes, but Keani was attracted to this quality of him. As long as he wasn't socially awkward, she could tolerate him -- or even grow to care for him. She had high standards for herself. It was true that Elijah wasn't exactly her type. He was a struggling actor from the west coast. Keani felt as if long-distance relationships were taboo, especially after the mess that had been Cody Reyes, but she was trying new shoes on, and Elijah happened to fit... if she put another pair of socks on.

She slid on her cognac boots before checking her hair one more time in the mirror. Her dark brown waves fell just below her shoulders. She never kept her hair particularly long. It seemed that Elijah enjoyed her natural beauty, but then again, they were typically beating around the bush about how they felt for each other. After the weeks turning into months, Keani felt as if they were falling into what teenagers would call the friend zone. In a way, she didn't mind. Such simplicity made her feel at ease with how their... well, relationship, was. She was happy with Elijah. He was committed to her in a way that didn't require words, and she to him. She couldn't imagine a better way to carry on their friendship. Considering he had work and she had her own career to pursue ardently, it seemed foolish to focus completely on one another. Even when she caught herself romanticizing her newest love interest, she made herself aware that this man was taken by an intense passion for acting. She was proud of Elijah; she wanted nothing more than his success.

When she heard the knock at the door, she approached it as if she weren't eager to see him. When she opened the door, his face proved to be a sight for sore eyes. Jack Frost nipped at his nose only slightly, leaving his face pink. He looked young. She pulled him into a long hug, glad that they could spend the day together. She made a promise to him that she wasn't going to be freaking out about work all day. It was tough to be in journalism and refrain from living on her phone, but she was trying to improve. When she pulled away, she held him by the shoulders, taking him in. The chilly breeze had swept a bit of hair to the side. "Hi," she breathed. She let him in the door before any more cold air could breathe its way in. "Want a hot drink for the road?" she offered him, unsure of what else to speak of. It seemed as if all the subjects she had wanted to speak of fell out of her mind. Lovestruck, she was.

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Elijah had been back in the East Coast for the last past three days, he had certainly missed his family and his friends but one thing he could do without was the weather. He was New Jersey born and raised but nothing could prepare him for the treacherous New York winters. It was a stark contrast to Los Angeles where you would be extremely lucky to see a snowflake on Christmas day; instead it was a mere chill that required only a light jacket. In New York, he was wrapped in multiple layers yet still shivered as the wind blew in his face. If it were up to him, he would be tucked under a blanket sleeping till noon in his old bedroom but for Keani he would brave another ice age. It was safe to say he was quite smitten with the woman, her elegance, debonair and sophistication all had him hooked and wanting more. These feelings were fairly obvious, especially to his family. His constant gushing had successfully driven them all insane to the point in which they would walk out of the room at the mention of her name. Only his mother shared the clear devotion to Keani despite never meeting the girl.

Despite their apparent irritation he knew it was only playful, they were happy he had found someone. And he himself was extremely happy that he had managed to capture the interest of someone that had seemed so clearly out of his league. Why they were still just friends was a question asked by almost every family member and the only answer Elijah could give was that it was simply not the right time. He wanted to wait for the perfect moment, something picturesque and romantic. Something she couldn’t say no to, but the problem with that was that he couldn’t orchestrate a brilliant enough plan without arousing suspicion. He wanted to surprise her as well as romance her. But he feared that if he waited any longer it would be too late, hence why he had vowed to make the plunge before he left for home once more. He would only beat himself up for not doing it because who knew when they would be able to see each other in person again. Something like this could not be asked over the phone. Watching those happy couples enjoying the winter, stroked envy in the man but he hoped that would soon change.

He knocked briskly on the door, eager to escape the clutches of the ice queen. He grinned as her face replaced the door; over everything she was the one he missed the most. ”Hey” it had been too long and if he could abandon all plans just to keep her there just as she was without any interruptions, he would. But they had made plans and he really needed to get those presents, with only a few days to go he was more than a little tardy. ”That would be great” he replied whilst rubbing his hands together in a bid to get some warmth. She really was a beauty even in her simplest.

TAGGED keani/lam
OUTFIT here
NOTES baby it's cooooold outside <3

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Once he voiced his desire for a hot drink, she forced herself to move away from him and into the kitchen. She made hot chocolate for the two of them and put a generous amount of marshmallows in his mug. She grabbed her dark brown leather jacket and pulled it onto her figure before turning to him again. "I hope you don't mind walking the short distance. The traffic is hectic around this time," she told him honestly. During the holiday season, it was difficult to breathe in her part of town. She could handle the cold weather, but the bustle was an element of her lifestyle that she never truly became accustomed to. In Hawaii, all had been so peaceful. In the urban areas, she remembered still feeling at home. She was a stranger here, however, and that small amount of comfort eluded her.

She finally pulled the purse over her head and slid her hand into Elijah's with a confident grin before leading him out of her apartment. If it were up to her, she would be watching Christmas movies with him all day, but she knew that he had obligations to attend to. In all honesty, she hadn't even purchased his Christmas gift just yet. She was actually a largely traditional young woman. She enjoyed the spiritual aspect of Christmas on top of everything. For some reason, though, she was behind with what she wanted Elijah to have for the holidays. She knew him well enough to guess that he loved quirky gifts, but she was a giver or useful and characterized items. It had to be perfect. If that meant pushing the date on which she found this item, she was willing to take the hit. She wanted him to be completely content with what she was going to give him on the twenty-fifth. Otherwise, her shopping was finished and wrapped up. She was excited for Malo to see his gift.

When they finally reached the shopping center, Keani had to refrain from cringing or just running away. It was unbearably crowded, even for New York. "Honestly, this is my second Christmas in the city. I don't think I'll ever get used to it." City people weren't exactly accommodating. She had no idea how some people became calloused enough to walk into these crowds without even a little bit of fear for safety. She felt safe with Elijah, but she didn't feel like the type who would go Christmas shopping on Fifth all by herself. "Where to first?" she asked him. He was leading, considering he was the one searching.

As corny as it seemed, it was difficult to stop herself from staring at him. After spending days apart, it felt like Keani had lost touch with her favorite person in the world. When it came down to missing him for over a week, it was a great challenge. Most things weren't emotionally exhausting to her, but separating herself from him was. She liked to have him beside her, even if it meant talking about nothing or eating disgusting amounts of waffles. It was just nice to be beside someone who cared so much for her. Words weren't necessary when they knew how they felt about each other.

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As she disappeared into her kitchen, Elijah followed behind like a puppy on a strong leash. Wherever she went, he couldn’t help but follow in a need to stay close. He leaned against the frame of the door of the kitchen as she busied herself with making the drinks. Smiling gratefully as he was presented with the hot chocolate, he shook his head ”I don’t mind at all” he replied taking a tentative sip but hissing as the liquid scalded his tongue. To be fair he had only heard stories about the New York traffic, he only visited the city on special occasions to see his brother or in most recent cases Keani, but even then he had opted for the subway. New York was far busier than anywhere he had ever been before or was used to. He was a mellow guy who liked to take things slow, and in the midst of all the rushing bodies he was the standalone guy ambling along the street enjoying life as it came at him.

Taking the final gulp of the hot chocolate he pulled his jacket closer as she began to get ready herself. Placing the two mugs in the sink he returned to her and felt her hand in his, smiling to himself he allowed her to lead the way towards the shops. It wasn’t only relatives presents he had yet to get; obviously he was very bad at this. But he was still yet to get Keani’s present. He had thought to buy her jewellery, he thought she might like that but then to decide what kind of jewellery to get her left him stumped. A ring was out of the question, even if it clearly wasn’t an engagement ring; he didn’t feel comfortable presenting a woman with something like that. Then there was either a necklace or a bracelet, he called it quits when he saw just how extensive the choice was between the two. He had never quit been able to make a decision on the important things in life without the guidance of someone else, mainly his mother.

Arriving at the centre didn’t faze him as much as it had Keani. He had expected much, perhaps even worst. It was after all the season of giving and receiving; there were probably hundreds of other people there today doing the same thing he had planned. It gave him some comfort that he wasn’t the only one who had put it off so last minute. He chuckled lightly ”this is just the manic side to Christmas; it’s not too bad here. You have snow... And that huge Christmas tree in Manhattan” he squeezed her hand lightly ”It’s feel more Christmassy here than LA” he mused, though only ever spending one Christmas in LA himself and that was only because his flight out had been cancelled last minute. He had ended up flying out Boxing Day; Christmas that year had been a disappointment. He tapped his chin lightly with his free hand in thought ”well, I just have to get presents for my sisters and Isaac. I have Isaac’s letter to Santa so we can get his gift last. But you’ll have to help me with Sam and Georgia’s presents, I never know what to get them.” In his twenty-nine years he had never managed to get them the perfect gift. He had tried, boy he tried, but he always failed. They would smile and hug him but he always knew when they were lying. This year though, he had the help of a woman and hopefully he would get it right this year. The novelty home deco he had gotten them last year was still in the garage of their parents’ home ‘happily forgotten’.

”what about that NBA store?” he asked cluelessly.


TAGGED keani/lam
OUTFIT here
NOTES me too! <3

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It was comforting for Keani to date a guy who was so comfortable with how he felt for his family. It was an attractive quality in the most evolutionary way, of course; men were made to protect their families. Keani felt like she gravitated toward people who generally enjoyed kids. Elijah seemed like he would be a very good father, though that thought was far from her mind. She just enjoyed his childlike company and she couldn't help but grin proudly when he gushed about his family. Those who were nearer to their siblings seemed so much more emotionally sound than those who were not. Keani herself made it a priority to remain close to her kin, however far away they were. Her father still called her on a weekly basis to see what she was up to. A successful businessman in Hawaii, he was wealthy, but he was lonely. After the death of Keani's mother, no woman had come to compare. Keani was secretly glad for this, but Malo wanted their dad to go out and find someone. How lucky, Keani thought, Elijah was. It seemed like he had it all in front of him. A visit to them wasn't as hectic as flying to Hawaii and working around her dad's busy agenda.

It seemed that Elijah and Keani were beating around the bush with how serious they were getting. Maybe it was small, but the steps they took were enough to wonder. He was the kind of person who acted so noncommittal, but she could tell that Elijah enjoyed stability. That was clear with his familial relationships. He liked being able to support people and remain a large part of their lives. Keani was a disillusioned romantic, but she wasn't hopeless, at least not when it came down to him. She didn't think twice about how she felt romantically attached to him. It felt natural. It was scary, but she liked him a lot. It was almost childish, but he made her blush. He made her feel young again.

"I don't know where to start," Keani told him when he implied that he needed her resources to help him find adequate gifts. He struck her as the type to give a chain of gag gifts. "Do boys generally like NBA garb? Younger boys?" she asked Elijah as she followed him, hand in his. The crowd pushed them along in the city rush. If they stopped now, they would be trampled. It was like a quest to survive. When they made it in, the bell over their heads rang, and they were standing in a spacious room. The wood floors were clean and the store was well-kept, but it relieved Keani most to see very few bodies in there, at least compared to the Apple store down the street. "Shoes? Jerseys?" She ran her hand along a pair or shorts lying on the front shelf. "Where do we begin?" She put her hands on her hips before thinking of an idea... Inspired by Danny Crawford himself.

"Maybe we don't have to find anything!" she mused. "It can find us." She wrapped her arm around his tighter, no longer holding hands but linking arms, and suddenly tagged him. "Tag!" she exclaimed, drawing herself away from his warm grasp. She wasn't too quick, as there were still people, but she was getting away quickly. "You're it!" she yelped before finding a proper place to hide herself. She couldn't run forever in a store like this.

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”What Isaac likes changes with every season” he replied with a laugh, the boy was forever changing his mind about a lot of things. But what he did know was that it was always sports related; the young boy had an ambition to be a famous sports star. He wasn’t quite sure what kind of sport for he had tried almost everything and couldn’t pick a favourite. This season it was basketball, although the shortest kid in his class he still loved the sport. ”He’s really into basketball right now, you should see the little slugger when he has a ball in his hand. Fast as lightening” he enthused, pride overwhelmed the man. Elijah saw parts of himself in the young boy, although Isaac was his brothers’ son, in ways he felt like Elijah’s own. And when the time was right for him to have his own son, he would be more than happy if he was even the slightest bit like his nephew.

He had never given it much thought about children; all he knew was that he would want some eventually. Gender mattered naught but he knew he wanted a son. It was the man in him who wanted a little boy. A little boy to teach how to ride a bike, play catch with and help with girl problems (despite being of no use himself). All of that was something he dreamed of having some day with someone special. But the recent light of Luiza’s news, his older brothers’ wife, that she was pregnant once again had made those thoughts come to the fore front of his mind. Perhaps time was ticking for the young man, but he wasn’t worried he knew when the time was right he would have that little boy and a loving wife, maybe even a Labrador. He shrugged; he usually looked around until something caught his eye. He wasn’t a big shopper, the whole concept of spending hours on ends in retail stores made him cringe.

He looked at her quizzically when she suggested her idea. Hanging off her every word he waited for her to elaborate but instead she tagged him. He stood there dumbfounded for a moment before he heard her shout that he was it. He chuckled at her sudden playfulness; she always managed to surprise him somehow on their days out. Giving her some headway, he ambled in the direction he had seen her run off too. He walked past various jerseys and t-shirts, but they all looked far too big for his nephew. Looking around for his companion he noticed she had disappeared, or gone into hiding rather. Craning his neck to look over the rails and other patrons to see where the petite woman had gotten to. Spotting the familiar wave of hair he snuck up behind her before reaching out and tickling her sides as he brought her closer to himself ”You’re it” he said but made no move to run away, instead savouring the moment of having her so close.


TAGGED keani/lam
OUTFIT here
NOTES me too! <3

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"I suppose kids are like seasons," Keani agreed. She had met Isaac and, quite frankly, adored him. Keani was absolutely head over heels for young children, though she was extremely apprehensive about children who behaved poorly in front of their parents. She believed in discipline and love going hand-in-hand and she despised seeing parents give in to their children at every whim. She saw herself having children one day, but she had no intentions of spoiling them. She wanted to be like her parents. They weren't the perfect parents by any means, but she remembered feeling loved most of the time. If all else failed, she knew that her parents cared for her -- no matter what. Now that her mother was gone, she had to keep her faith and hope that she could be the woman Ele had been. As a grown woman, Keani felt like her own clock was ticking. She was a few years Elijah's junior, but her biological clock was screaming at her to grow up. She had no idea if she'd settle, especially with her career keeping her busy, but she wanted to take her life by the day.

Keani loved hearing Elijah talk about his nephew. "Maybe I'll have to show him my skills," she told him, flipping her hair for effect. She grinned at him. In the scheme of things, Elijah was a nice person to have in her life. He was laid-back, unstressed, and funny. Those qualities weren't in most of the people she surrounded herself with. Jaiden and Danny were funny, but they had their own set of problems that Keani wanted to escape from some of the time. Elijah was clumsy, but he certainly wasn't dramatic, so he had a better flaw than most. The fact that he could be himself in any environment made his novelty shine like a star. Keani admired that quality in him.

In the rush of the game, Keani had very little time to hide, so she found a small crevice by a shelf where she knew he'd find him. It seemed like no time had passed before she felt his hand on her back. Suddenly, he pulled her close, and she was almost dizzy with the sudden adrenaline rush. She breathed in, smelling the vague smell of body wash and New York snow. "Me?" she asked him innocently in reply to his tag. She didn't move from his grasp, enjoying the feeling of his breath against her skin. "Oh! she cried abruptly. "Elijah, look!" she said. She grabbed his arm and almost dragged him with her. "Spalding basketballs! He would love this limited edition one." She reached earnestly for it, but it was too high on the shelf. She huffed, frustrated with her size. She hated feeling like a damsel in distress.

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He tilted his head, debating whether to move in for a quick peck but the moment was effectively ruined when she cried out and then proceeded to drag him off somewhere. He looked up to where she was gesturing and saw the impressive collection of basketballs, that would make a great gift for the little guy. Though Elijah could imagine how easily he would drive his brother and his wife insane with the constant bouncing, but kids would be kids and he would need the practice. Seeing her struggle to reach the ball, he grabbed it with ease and presented it to her ”My lady, I do think we have found the one” he announced in his best upper class British accent. He had found her attempt to capture the ball both amusing and quite cute. In comparison to himself, everyone appeared small and he liked that Keani was no exception. He was tempted to just pick her up and throw her over his shoulder.

”He does ask about you” he replied to her earlier comment ”he asks when he can see the pretty lady again” he continued, as he guided her towards the check out. That wasn’t exactly what the young boy had asked Elijah, he asked instead whether Elijah was going to marry her and if she would be his new aunty. Making her uncomfortable was the last thing he wanted to do, hence why he had censored what had really happened. ”You could always come down after Christmas?” he ventured, twirling the ball in his left hand ”but be prepared to get schooled by a seven year old and his handsome uncle” he teased as the woman behind the desk cashed the basketball. He didn’t bat an eyelid at the price; it was incomparable to the joy on his nephew’s face on Christmas day. With the baseball safely in a store bag, he reached for her hand and walked leisurely to the exit ”let’s try one of those department stores for my sisters.” he suggested, meaning the stores that catered to everything from clothes to home wear.

Everyone else around them seemed to hold a purpose in their journeys but they seemed oblivious to it all, to Elijah nothing else around them mattered as much as the woman’s hand he was holding. It was quite busy but to him it was just them in this mass of bodies. ”Will it just be you and your brother this Christmas? Or..” he asked. He was aware that it was only her brother here in the states with her and that her father was very busy man, but he wondered if he was too busy to spend Christmas with his own kids. It had made him a little upset to have first heard about her father; Elijah believed there was no real excuse to not have time to spend with your family.


TAGGED keani/lam
OUTFIT here
NOTES <333

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The moment seemed perfect, but Keani had a tendency to ignore the romance of the times. She had a way withwords, so her work was filled with beautiful romance that became on-screen chemistry between two talented actors. For some reason, though, she could be like Elijah -- unsure of herself, unable to express her strong feelings for someone whose company she undeniably adored. ”My lady, I do think we have found the one,” he announced loudly. She put a hand over her mouth and laughed girlishly. "Shhh!" she joked, covering his mouth playfully. Her vulnerability was never all too cute to her, but to Elijah, it was humorous. He was definitely taller than her; in fact, he was a giant to most people's standards. She caught some people staring. Whether it was out of admiration for his looks or surprise at his height, she didn't know, but she was flattered when she realized that she was dating a relic in the male population.

"Pretty lady?" she asked, remembering Isaac's cute nickname for her. "How flattering. You should be careful! He might try to steal me away from you." It was a gutsy comment, but she had little to no fear when it came down to being real with Elijah. "I should get him something for Christmas as well," she mused. She wondered if it spoiled him to have a near-stranger buy him gifts. Keani was a generous human being, always wishing to give to those around her. There were odd traits about her: she was powerful and strong, but she had a weakness for others' suffering and always wanted to give them as much as love as humanly possible. She took a lot on her own shoulders and wanted to be the girl people came to about their problems, no matter how small. However, she could be seen as judgmental at times; her advie was opinionated and her arguments strong. She was a good friend full of love, but she could be too rough. Her greatest fear was either coming off as a tyrant or a weakling.

”You could always come down after Christmas?” Elijah offered. Keani's eyebrows creased in thought. "To meet your family?" she almost gulped. She smiled at the frivolous comment that came next. "I think I could take him. Don't you think?" she suggested, raising her eyebrows. She was actually very excited to see Isaac, but meeting Elijah's family was the real problem at hand. Was he asking her to get serious with her? Family was of dire importance to both Keani and Elijah, so the offer was massive. She decided that her last comment was her way of saying "yes," and she moved along with him once he decided to grab her hand and lead her into a department store. She was best with what girls liked, though sizes were always the issue with shopping for clothes. She also didn't know the personalities of his sisters, other than what he told her when he talked about them.

Keani turned and looked at his profile when he asked about Christmas. "My father should be coming to New York," she nodded. "He's busy, but Beldivere's are all about family functions. It may be an addiction." They were all excited to spend time together. Malo certainly irritated Keani. Now that he and Lissa were on steady ground, he was home less; his job was also centered in LA and numerous other locations, so she didn't have to clean his messes up quite as often. Malo was kind-hearted, but he was also immature. She could only take so much at once. "Malo has been busy, but I think he's inviting Lissa for Christmas. He is definitely coming home. I'm sure he'd like to see you again." Elijah and Malo had met on occasion before, and she could tell that Malo was still iffy. He didn't know if he could trust any more guys with his older sister. Young and immature, Malo loved to challenge the men in his older sister's life. Elijah was definitely one of the best to Malo, though, because he was silly and boyish in the same respect. "I'd like it if you could meet my dad," Keani added casually, feeling her heart flutter at the thought. Was this really happening?

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”I think I can handle another competitor” he winked ”besides he’s got a few years before he can master the smolder” he grinned. He knew it was all in jest but he couldn’t help wonder what other admirers Keani held, all who were far more compatible than he was. Though they were never short of things to talk about, Elijah often wondered if she would prefer a more intellectual conversation rather than the trivial nonsense he would come out with. But those were only fleeting thoughts and would soon be erased when he saw how happy she looked, that alone reassured him. ”He’d like that” he smiled, her kindness never ceased to amaze him.

He nodded, was that too much too fast? He didn’t much of his offer, but perhaps it was a more loaded question than he had intended. It would be nice for her to finally meet his family and not just have only his words to account for them. Not to mention it would give his mother a chance to pin a face to the woman Elijah had been mooning over. But it could be too soon; didn’t meeting the parents usually happen when couples were dating for a long period of time? Elijah hadn’t even asked her to be his girlfriend yet they seemed to be skipping ahead onto the serious stuff. "I think I could take him. Don't you think?" it was his turn to be surprised; he had expected her to graciously decline after all it was a big leap. ”Really?” He asked in disbelief but at the same time he was glad she had accepted, it meant a lot more than she probably realised. ”I have to warn you though, my family can get a little... crazy” crazy was an understatement but he didn’t want to scare her off.

Hearing news of her father and brother coming to New York and being with Keani comforted Elijah. He grinned at the mention of Malo, the two of them had hit it off as best as they could given the circumstances. He knew what it was like to be the protective brother, not initially wanting to trust the guy who had suddenly become permanent fixtures in his sister’s life. In a way Malo was almost like the father that needed impressing since their own was back in Hawaii. ”It’d be great to see him again and hopefully win back some dignity in halo” he joked. Elijah nearly choked on air at the mention of meeting her father ”You really want me to?” he asked nervously. It was one thin to meet a protective brother but meeting the more so father was a different thing altogether. He had always been courteous and perhaps the ideal guy to bring home and meet your parents and he had done it before. But there was something about meeting Keani’s father that seemed far scarier than parents before him. ”Alright, let’s meet your dad” he said not waiting for her to answer his earlier question, if she was willing to meet his family then he would gather all the courage to meet her father. He knew how much he meant to her and he only wanted her to be happy.

They entered the department store and were instantly assaulted by the scents of the feminine world. The store appeared to be a labyrinth to him, but was most likely easy to navigate to anyone else. He escorted her past the cosmetics, not wanting the assault on his nose to continue before stopping in the woman's clothing section which was the remaining ground floor. ”I thought I would try clothes this year” he explained ”but after the ’09 incident I think it would be best if you helped me” he asked. He held up what appeared to be a moss green silk halter top, it looked decent enough to him but he had failed to notice the garish floral pattern around the neckline. ”What do you think of this?” he asked with hope in his eyes. He detested shopping for women, there were too many things to choose from and he usually ended up choosing the wrong thing. ”For Georgia of course” he added, Sam wouldn’t be caught dead in such a girly top. She was a tomboy, who preferred comfort over style any day.


TAGGED keani/lam
OUTFIT here
NOTES no worries! <3

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SNUGGLED UP TOGETHER

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Keani blushed slightly at the mention of competition. A bit of jealous in any relationship was healthy -- it was flattering. At the same time, she didn't know if they qualified for a relationship. Since they were meeting each other's families, it seemed safe to say that they were moving into some strange territory. She felt like things should be on the table. She had decided the night before shopping that she would tell him the whole truth -- how she felt about him, how she wanted to maybe take it to the next step. Her greatest fear, though, was that Elijah was never going to tell her how he truly felt. It was obvious, but something about stating them in words made it real for her. She wanted him to come out and say that she was the one he wanted to be with, that he couldn't imagine choosing another over her. She wanted this to become a reality, not just a stupid daydream. "You don't need to worry about competition," she reassured him, running a manicured hand along his cheekbone for a moment before letting it drop to her side. She looked away.

"I like crazy families," she told him nonchalantly. She turned her head and smiled reassuringly. "I doubt they can scare you away more than you could!" When Keani liked a person, she liked them past their flaws. She believed that good relationships continued with hard work on both ends. She was certain that she would find a way to love his family as much as he did. "I mean, Malo's not exactly sane." He and Lissa had argued in front of Elijah and Keani before. If that wasn't embarrassing, she had no idea what was. She was ready to see Elijah's home and where his roots were planted. Most of all, she wanted to meet his mother and see if she was all that Elijah talked her up to be.

Keani's own family could be dysfunctional. Though the three of them got along well, Keani could see that her dad was becoming lonelier in the absence of his children. Malo was a party boy with a complicatedly religious but sexually confused girlfriend. It wasn't like Keani's small family was even close to flawless, so how could she judge? "You two and Halo," Keani thought aloud, rolling her eyes. Malo and Elijah were oddly competitive with each other, which she saw as entertaining, but it was bad when she and Lissa had to resort to watching The Lizzie McGuire Movie out of sheer boredom. The guys had a tendency of getting carried away. "If you don't want to meet my dad, I wouldn't want to make the decision for you," she replied honestly. She grabbed his arm and held his eyes for a moment. "Don't do it because I want you to, okay? If you're not ready... well, then you're not ready." She hated when people lived to make her happy. She never wanted to be that important to someone. She never knew if it was worth it... if she was worth it.

Keani looked around at the familiar store they were in. She shopped often on Fifth Avenue, but she hated when it was busy, and she despised fighting for changing rooms on the rough days. Keani had also become a lot less materialistic over the past few months. While living in the city had first altered her drastically, she was becoming used to being minimalistic. She was a journalist and screenwriter, not a celebrity. She made nearly nothing compared to the actors whom she worked with. When she turned her attention back to Elijah, he held a halter top that lacked promise in every respect. "I don't know Georgia or anything, but I don't remember her being tacky or senile," she replied before realizing how scalding it was. "Sorry," she added quickly before cringing a bit. "I'm too sarcastic for my own good." She took the top and put it back on the rack. "Let's start with her favorite color?" she suggested kindly.

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He laughed ”I hope you still have that open mind after you’ve met them all” every family had its eccentricities but Elijah felt his family had more, whether it be because there was simply a lot of them or because of how they raised he could never pin one reason alone. His mother was single-handedly a very boisterous woman on her on and that could be a lot to take in at once. She was friendly but edged towards smothering with her mother hen attitude; it was why all her children adapted such a similar attitude, though minus the smothering they had had enough of that growing up. There were similar traits shared between them all, it couldn’t be helped with the close ages but they were all their own persons. ”Malo’s relatively sane, I think he would fit right in with them” he joked, he had never found Malo’s behaviour in front of them in anyway embarrassing, if anything it just showed he was human.

”I want to do this for you, I know how much he means to you. I mean, how bad could it go?” he asked rhetorically but could easily see a thousand scenarios of how meeting her father could go and none of them ended well. It was another step in their relationship that Elijah felt was needed. Though he had the tendency to run away when things got too serious, this was different. They had spent months getting to know each other, all the while remaining smitten. She wasn’t forcing things to go too fast too soon and that was what he loved about her. There was no rush to label whatever they had, they could just simply enjoy being with each other. But Elijah could sense that it was time to move things further and not just meeting each other’s parents but could he very well ask her in the woman’s section of a department store? That hardly screamed romantic but then Elijah had never been a conventional person but even he doubted this was a story to tell the family.

He cringed at her criticism; he hadn’t thought he had made that much of a fashion faux pas. ”No, no. It’s fine, you need to do that or I would’ve ended up buying it” he reassured her after her quick apology. He shrugged ”is it bad that I honestly have no idea?” he asked pulling a face ”she wears blue a lot?” he offered up as a starting point for their crusade. Elijah wasn’t the type of person to remember the tiny details about a person, like their favourite colour. He was more the type to take note of what they did when they were upset, what tiny things made them smile or the habits they were unaware of. Favourite foods and the likes simply went in one ear then through the other. He led her through other racks scanning for any blue items before pulling out a blue cocktail dress. Holding it up against his body he looked quite ridiculous but nonetheless he put on a mock fashion show for Keani, pouting his lips and all. ”Does it make my butt look big?” he joked as he showed her his ass. ”Did I do well? I think it looks sexy” he grimaced once he realised what he had just said and hastily put it back on the rack ”we don’t want sexy” he shook his head in terror. He still wasn’t used to the idea of his baby sister dating and doing other unmentionable things.


TAGGED keani/lam
OUTFIT here
NOTES <333

[Deleted]

SNUGGLED UP TOGETHER

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After hearing about Elijah's mother, Keani had to admit to herself that she was a little bit concerned with how she would fit in. She didn't want to be the stiff new girlfriend, but she didn't want to be too forward or obnoxious. She always resorted to being herself, though, and the Beldivere charm covered her bases. Otherwise, she was flipping a coin and hoping that she had a great deal in common with at least one of the sisters. If one of them liked her, she would be happy. Mostly, Keani just wanted to be real with them; she hid nothing from Elijah. In fact, she was unnaturally very forward about how she felt about them. Even if they had never agreed to a true relationship, she hid none of her interests or quirks. It was all about being genuine; that was what she learned from growing up under her parents' roof. "I'll keep an open mind. I hope they do too as well," she vocalized. "Maybe your siblings won't torture me too much!"

Keani imagined Malo meeting Elijah's family and grimaced. Considering the two sounded absolutely crazy, it seemed like a bad idea to mix them together. Without even considering her father's idiosyncratic behavior, she felt afraid for Elijah's sake. "I know you want to meet him, but... Well, I don't know." She tucked a hair behind her ear before looking up at him. Keani had her own accidental smolder, which only came out in times of nervousness. "I just don't want you doing favors for me. Be your own person." She gently poked his chest. "Don't do stuff just to make me happy. Deal?" Keani had an issue with that. She hated when people changed for her pleasure. She liked the clarity that Elijah presented her. He was full of joy, but none of it was polluted like it was in other people she encountered. His laughs were uncensored, his words unrehearsed. If he lost that, she wouldn't know what to do.

Keani shook her head and laughed. "I'm sure it's not a detail you've really discussed." She knew Malo's favorite color, but that was only because they lived together as adults. She knew that her dad's was something boring, but it wasn't something she cared about until moments like these. "That dress is gorgeous!" Keani claimed, clapping excitedly for a moment until Elijah began modeling it. She shook her head once again. "Oh no! You're ruining it!" He realized it as well when he said the word "sexy." Keani cringed a bit and looked at him. "I'm sure that's going to be in your head all day," she sympathized, patting his back before leading him away from the rack. "How about this blue?" she suggested. It was a fitted sweater dress that would look incredible with detailed tights and heeled boots. "See, not so much skin. It's just right." She held it in front of her own body. "I'd buy it," she shrugged. She held it to him.

Once they got done with most of the girls' items in the department store, Keani and Elijah found themselves on the sidewalk once again. "What about your mom?" she asked. She knew how much Elijah's mother meant to him.

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He smiled down at her, seeing her lips turn into a smoulder the urge that over took him to kiss her had almost won over his logical thinking. It was a battle within him but was soon found nil as the moment had passed. It was hopeless for her to ask him something like that, he liked to see her happy, to see her smile and laugh, she looked all the more beautiful when she did. Asking him not to make her happy was like asking the sun not shine. But nonetheless he agreed, just to make her happy, contradicting it altogether ”It’s a deal but I can’t make any promises. How else will I see you smile if I don’t keep you happy?” he asked, daring her to answer. Perhaps she wasn’t quite aware to what extent Elijah would go to please her, did she not know how much she meant to him? That he was even willing to meet her father, whom in his mind was scarier than the bogey man. He only had himself to blame, he hadn’t been vocal about his feelings. How was she supposed to know?

The ‘sexy’ incident would take more than a few days to get over. He doubted he would be able to look at another blue dress the same until then. He agreed readily with whatever dress she had chosen, he trusted her opinion so much that a mere glance seemed suffice, he just wanted to get out of there. Finding Sam’s present was easier and without any scarring mental images and Elijah could finally breathe easy after escaping the tangle of clothes. They were out in the open once again and Elijah took this opportunity hold Keani’s hand as they strolled down Fifth Avenue. The only present he had left to buy was hers and he wanted it to be a surprise. ”She’s amazing.” he replied with every bone of his body filled with pride. ”The best mother you could ask for. She may be smothering and... a little pushy but raising five kids, I don’t know how she did it” he admired. He was a true momma’s boy, he adored and idolised his mother. She was his rock and guidance when all else failed. She was one of the few people who he could truly count on. Being a significant factor in his life meant that the seal of approval from his mother was crucial for any relationship to work. He would hate to have to choose between his girlfriend and his mother, mostly because he knew who would win and that it would not end well for his romantic relationships. ”She’ll like you, don’t worry. She’s actually been asking when she’ll finally get to meet the woman who’s got her little boy wrapped around their finger” he said, hoping to reassure her.

Amidst his raise for his mother he had given no thought to Keani. He instantly felt guilty to have gone on about his mother so insensitively whilst hers had passed away. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze as they carried on walking ”tell me about your mother, what you remember” he asked. In their time spent together he could not remember her talking a lot about her mother, she talked mostly of her brother and father. He had never questioned it as it was a sensitive topic but now felt like the right moment to ask.


TAGGED keani/lam
OUTFIT here
NOTES <333

[Deleted]

SNUGGLED UP TOGETHER

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Each time Elijah hinted at how he felt for her, she felt flattered, as if she had never heard such words before. She smiled at him once again. "It's not your job to make me happy. I am happy. It doesn't take much," she told him. That was true. Elijah didn't have to do anything but be there for her; she expected nothing more from him. Maybe it was after years of being jaded from her very first relationship, but Keani believed in fixing her own issues and never expecting others to do a thing for her. She stood up for herself and made her own way to success. She didn't want Elijah to feel like he was at all liable for her joy. Just the fact that he didn't think she was insane or too dull to date made her a happy woman. She had no idea about the woman in Elijah's life who came before herself, but she didn't want to be the typical kind that was always complaining. It was easy to please her; she asked for nothing of him. If she didn't think he was good on his own accord, she wouldn't date him.

Just hearing about Elijah's roots excited her. Knowing more about his mother was a priority of hers, as that was going to be the hardest person to impress. Regardless of what some people said, mothers were the toughest hurdle to jump. That was why mother-in-laws were always vicious. "She sounds so wonderful," Keani replied with a grin on her face. "I'm sure it can't be too difficult to relate to her. We're both women. I'll find something to talk about!" She was feigning confidence when her intestines felt like they were all bundled up. Just considering what it would be like to stay with his family made her want to run away. She was very charismatic, but business was so different from wooing a man's family. Elijah meant the world to her and she didn't want to mess this one up, not when it was finally getting serious.

"I suppose you talked about me, then," Keani deduced whilst bumping his shoulder playfully. She had spoken about Elijah to her father as well, but her dad was still Team Cody. Her ex-boyfriend had made an amazing impression on her father. Since that, he didn't know if he would like anyone as much. He believed in her, though, and knew that she would choose someone better to be the new man in her life. Her dad just wanted someone who was virtuous and responsible enough to take care of his daughter while he was in Hawaii. "My dad might put you to the test. But I think he likes you from what he's heard. He thinks you sound really... funny." That was Elijah's greatest strength in his social situations. He could laugh about anything, which would aid him, considering Richard Beldivere loved a good guffaw.

She felt the subtle squeeze of her hand and looked back up at him. "My mom?" she asked. She looked down at her feet for a second. "She was a beautiful singer," she told him. "She used to make up bedtime stories. And she loved cooking. I always wanted to be her. We were very different, though, and I didn't become the schoolteacher she was. But she wasn't one of the stupid ones. She found her passion and stuck with it. She didn't do it just to have a job. So I learned to find something I couldn't live without... And that was journalism." Ele Beldivere had been Keani's greatest source of inspiration. Her father was no less of a person, though, and she gave him credit where it was due. "She would really love you. But it's not sad, you know? So don't feel sad. It's okay that she's gone now... I don't want people pitying me."

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