the stars come out --*

[Deleted]

you cast a spell on me ,

Keani was shocked that she wasn't exhausted just yet. Malo and Lissa had dragged Cody into an after-party, an event that Keani didn't think she would be particularly fond of. She didn't enjoy being in places where everyone was drunk and hormonal, but she was with Cody, and that made her feel safe. After their encounter in Europe where everything came out, Keani realized that she honestly didn't want to imagine a life without Cody by her side. It was the season for everyone to get together and make that decision, she realized as she looked at all of the new couples springing up. That didn't matter though, because Cody wasn't just a statistic to her. He was the guy whom she had felt strongly for during the past year. After their little arguments and relationship troubles, they found each other again. It was corny, sure, but Keani didn't mind at all as she squeezed his arm. She had a martini in her hand, at least that's what she thought. She knew nothing about alcohol, but she drank it sip by sip just to preoccupy herself. She was simply crossing her fingers, hoping that she wasn't going to get too drunk too quickly.

Music was blaring loudly over the speakers, and Keani was beginning to think that afterparties were the real reason why people even came to the awards. She was a bit surprised with the crowd. It seemed like a sophisticated enough setting, but the people were acting far from classy. Knowing Keani, it was not her place to be on the twenty-fourth of February. If it weren't for Malo, Lissa, and Cody, she would have much preferred to stay in her apartment with a Netflix remote in hand and a laptop with Word open in front of her to continue writing her upcoming novel. The bright side was the fact that she had the opportunity to meet a great deal of important people. Networking was enjoyable for Keani. She was reserved at home, but working in business was fun for her. She enjoyed meeting people who shared similar interests with her. She was also glad that she got to meet more of Cody and Malo's co-workers during the event.

It wasn't that Keani hated crowds; it was quite the opposite. She just didn't think it was her niche, really, and she pondered the fact while she sipped on the martini-or-something-else and leaned a bit on Cody. She felt peachy, truly peachy, to be at such an important event with Cody. It was important for him to meet others in the industry and figure out what his big project would be after Seven Years of Solitude (that is, if it went through). Keani was glad to help when she could, but she also worried a great deal that it would ruin his career to be with her in terms of publicity. Jim had never really approved of the way girls leaped on Cody left and right. Jim and Keani had gotten along just fine, but it was Cody's career that was the trouble. She never wanted to get in the way, a fact that kept them apart during their first break-up. She never wanted to burden him. She still worried about it at times. She turned to him as he spoke to a director who came out with a nominee for the year. Keani nodded as if she were a part of the conversation, smiling charmingly at the man. He was suddenly pulled away from the couple, and Keani felt relieved to have Cody alone with her for the first time that night. Maybe they weren't alone exactly, but it was the closest she could get. She slipped her hand in his. "Have I told you that you look absolutely fantastic tonight?" Keani had actually told him a great deal, but she wanted him to know that she meant it. "You'll be a nominee next year, you know." She said it with complete confidence.

tagged: char as cody reyes <3 l words: 665 l OUTFIT! l notes: <3

Bitter.Sweet.Sundown. @caution

[char]

Cody probably wouldn't admit it to anyone-- even Keani!-- but award shows were a definite guilty pleasure of him. He didn't stick around for the possibility of a win in his direction, even though that was an obvious plus to attending. Sometimes, it felt as though award shows were his only link to other actors and actresses. Maybe it wasn't even award shows he enjoyed and rather events in general. Either way, it gave him a petty excuse to pull out his finest new tuxedo for the occasion. The Industry Awards also gave him an excuse to fly home to see Keani as well. Filming "Ruthless Warrior" was finally coming to an end. He'd be in the states by the end of the month, and afterwards, filming for Being Sinclair would undoubtedly begin. Wild. That's the single word Cody would use to describe his life. Oh so wild.

Tonight was a great night for him to wind down, really. Not only was he in a comfortable environment, but he was also with one of the most beautiful women he had ever met. Lucky for him, she was gracious enough to come as his date. Cody smiled. Sometimes, his adulterated thoughts had the tendency to degrade into high school without truly meaning to. Cody liked to blame his Troy-like roots for that. High School Musical was ultimately his one shot into the world. He'd never try to shake the image, no matter how hard his manager insisted. He'd hired another manager during the last month or so. The last he had hired after Jim's leave suddenly disappeared, leaving poor Cody stranded. The newer guy he hired was named Sebastian. He seemed like a well-rounded man. He was very organized, and Cody was very pleased with the way he handled the transportation and hotel-booking aspect of attending tonight.

Without him, Cody didn't think he'd be able to hold Keani the way he was. It was true his attention was preoccupied, but she knew him well enough to know he usually lost himself in the hype of new opportunities. He'd always been the same way. With the pumping music, it made it incredibly difficult to hear what anyone was saying, but Cody reassured himself he was doing just fine. The directors occupying his mind didn't seem to notice any of the hard-hearing he was experiencing. He had his charismatic nature to thank for that. "Oop. Looks like I must be off," The director suddenly interjected. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Cody. You too, Keani. I hope to see you both as nominees next year." With a wink, the man was gone. Cody chuckled. Compliments always flared for a moment before they died. He flashed Keani an appreciative smile and wrapped his arm around her slender waist. It was only she and him now. "Have I told you that you look absolutely fantastic tonight?" she asked.

Cody chuckled once more. Looking down at his attire with pursed lips, he shrugged. "Maybe once or twice," he said nonchalantly. The effect didn't seem to last because a grin made its way behind the straight line he so dearly tried to keep. Keani managed to weasel out a piece of Cody that only his parents could really see clearly. "You'll be a nominee next year, y'know," she added. Cody gave a curt nod. When it came to his career, he was the most modest of all. "Maybe," he relayed. No bias whatsoever. "Let's not talk about me, though," he insisted. He'd much rather talk about her. They hadn't seen each other in person since their official reunion in London. He leaned into her and planted a sweet kiss onto her lips. Each time, Cody didn't know whether to hide his face or duck away after pulling away. The whole paparazzi scene tended to bring out the paranoia in him. Tonight, he didn't find that fleeting fear waiting. It had stopped pestering him, at least for the night, and he was grateful. "If the world had to pick one of us to win an award for anything, the grand prize would go to you," he insisted.

TAGGED Keani Beldivere
WORDS 694 words
OUTFIT HERE
WORDS I'M SORRY THIS IS SO LATE. and terrible. 4 am O.o

[Deleted]

you cast a spell on me ,

Keani hung off of the support of his arm, happy that she wasn't drunk at all. She wanted to remember that she was spending a night with Cody Reyes, one of the biggest busy bees on the planet. He never had a break (like Char). "I'm honored that you are here with me tonight," she said in a snooty, British dialect and bowed formally. In reality, Keani saw it this way: Cody was just as passionate and dedicated as Keani, meaning they were on the same level. She believed in equity in relationships and considered it as one of her utmost priorities when it came down to Cody. She never wanted him to venerate her like she was any better than him and never wanted to see him like he was a god. She wanted to be realistic, after all, because she knew the real Cody. He was serious and at times oblivious. He was more romantic than she was but just as ambitious and talented... and fashionable. She thought they were a good couple, a fact that she didn't mind expressing. She didn't want him, or their exclusivity, any other way.

"If the world had to pick one of us to win an award for anything, the grand prize would go to you," the young man insisted. She rolled his eyes at him mockingly and returned his kiss, smiling at him elatedly. They never got to do this sort of thing together, and she realized that it was their first public debut since London. Her free hand clasped over her mouth and her eyes widened. "Cody," she whispered urgently, "Wouldn't Sebastian be revolted?" Keani honestly didn't care what other people thought because the truth was that they were dating, but PDA wasn't her line of expertise anyway. She didn't mind toning it down. Keani certainly wasn't a doormat, but she knew how important it was to keep private life private when someone was famous. She always wanted to protect Malo from the paparazzi, especially when he and Lissa had any problems. Hollywood was unkind to Malo at the beginning of his relationship with Lissa, and Keani didn't want anyone to be affected by those opinions, so she decided that she and Cody could always keep their relationship their own. She didn't want to be Brangeline, plastered on tabloids for the world to see.

When Keani thought about the kind of person whom she wanted to be with for the rest of her life, Cody was nearly dead-on. Granted, they had their differences, and maybe she would have imagined someone who wasn't the actor type, but Cody went against every Hollywood stereotype. He was almost the opposite of what Keani thought he would be when she first encountered him on the set of Charlie St. Cloud. She expected a superficial frat boy from California. He had the tan, had the striking eyes, had the body, and had to know that he was absolutely stunning. Cody was nothing like that; he was modest and dedicated and down-to-earth. The last year was a strange time for them, but it was all worth it now that they were together again. "Cody?" she said in his ear rather solemnly as the music played in the background. "Can we talk?" She bit her lip. "I don't want to get too serious if you're going to be away because I don't want to hold you down or anything, and that's why we broke up in the first place, so... I just wanted to say that." Keani and Cody were two very busy, sedulous people. She didn't want to try to get serious again so quickly just to crash and burn once again.

tagged: char as cody reyes <3 l words: 614 l OUTFIT! l notes: <3

Bitter.Sweet.Sundown. @caution

[char]

Keani's spirits were high tonight, and it only made sense that his were, too. By the time she came around to telling him she was honored to be around with him (in a British accent), he was nearly grinning like a madman. "I wouldn't want to be with anyone else," he mustered, reaching for her hand. He gave it a gentle squeeze as he looked around. Some of the other celebrities were dancing. Others, like he and Keani, were conversing the night away. He preferred the latter anyways. As much as directors liked to showcase his ability to dance, he was actually quite the sheepish fellow. He saved his utmost confidence and charisma for the big screen. No one really knew why, not even the man himself. Shrugging the thought away, Cody's eyes finally fell onto Keani's face once more. He couldn't believe that they were actually trying another relationship after how their old relationship ended. Was it fate? Destiny? Luck? Forgiveness?

Whatever it was, Cody was grateful. He'd never stopped loving Keani. Granted, he'd try to deny that he had lingering feelings for her many, many times, but he always knew deep down he wasn't truly over her. It was a blessing and a curse, he knew. It was a blessing because he was the happiest with her. Dating Juliette Moore-Ross came nowhere close to satisfactory as dating Keani Beldivere did. In retrospect, the relationship was a curse because distance was a factor that had never ceased to exist. Cody had a residential estate in Los Angeles. Keani made her home in New York. They were always traveling, too. For Cody's occupation, he was gone for months at a time. Didn't he just come from London? He desperately wanted to take some time off to show Keani exactly how much he loved her, but that was unrealistic. Being Sinclair was a big deal for him. It was his first role on a television series. This was a huge step for his career.

With all the thoughts racing through his mind, Cody couldn't help the sweet kiss. His sense of right and wrong seemed to be lowered tonight. He was trying to "let loose" as so many of his friends always urged him to. A gasp on Keani's part didn't meet what he expected from her. When she questioned him about Sebastian, Cody shrugged. He wasn't rebelling by any means. Admittedly, he cared less about his manager's opinion ever since Jim left him in the dust. No one knew that except for him, though. "What?" he laughed. "I'm not allowed to kiss my girlfriend?" His voice was skeptical, not angry. As much as he loved Keani, she always brought up the exact things he never wanted to talk about. He didn't want their relationship to be based off of work again. He wanted to talk about how her day was, get in a few arguments, talk about things they normally wouldn't, and be open to trying new things altogether.

Besides, Cody didn't like Sebastian all that much, either. He wasn't as sympathetic about his personal life as Jim was. Jim never hesitated to give Cody a pat on the back when he was down. It seemed as if Sebastian was all-business in that particular field. Feeling down, Cody? Suck it up. He'd said that to him before, which immediately flared Cody's difficult-to-arouse-anger. He did his job, though. Cody knew about the importance of staying focused. It was one of the many things Jim had instilled into him. Jim. Cody missed him more than he should. It seemed as though his old friend had completely fallen off the face of the Earth. Maybe he had. His thoughts began to multiply into things much crazier, and he was grateful for Keani's interjection. For a moment, anyways. His face contorted in confusion once more before she ended. Too serious? "Where's all this coming from?" he asked. His voice was charged more than he meant to. Lowering his voice, he added, "We have to stop doing this. We can't tip-toe around our relationship if we're going to make this work, Kee. You know me better than anyone. You know I wouldn't have made a move to initiate this unless I was sure it'd work. We will make it work." Hopefully. The last part might have been Cody convincing himself that they'd work. God only knew how much he wished it could.

TAGGED Keani Beldivere
WORDS 740 words
OUTFIT HERE
WORDS xD Cody's a moody boy.

[Deleted]

you cast a spell on me ,

"I wouldn't want to be with anyone else," Cody told her as he squeezed her hand. It was strange; Keani could easily write romance screenplays and scenarios in novels, but she never expected romance that was as passionate as her own. She remembered their little row at the Vineyard, Hawaii escapades, and boat nights in Vancouver. It was fateful that Closer was being filmed in Vancouver; when she went back, she found herself going to the places where they spent their free times off-set of Charlie St. Cloud. That was before their reunion in London and after Nathaniel cheated on her. She had revisited some places where she had been with Cody by herself. It was strange to look back and think that she had dated someone like Nathaniel, someone who partied so much and whom she had met by chance and allowed to spend the night (without doing anything, of course). Her honest, straightforward relationship with Cody was so different from the impersonal but ecstatic relationship with Nate.

Of course, Cody and Keani weren't always as open as they were at this point. Their first six months were like many relationships -- devoid of real arguments, not always direct. Keani was thankful to be more intimate with her boyfriend after a few arguments. She remembered the shock she felt when they fought over the phone about the distance that was going to pull them apart during their first break-up ever. She had been so shocked with the words that she never thought she'd hear him say; it was so unlike Cody to be harsh the way he had been, but now she was thankful that Cody was so direct about how he was feeling. Now she felt like it was impossible to hide anything from him. He gave her space, but any important information was always entrusted in his worthy arms. She had nothing to hide from him. When they had a problem, they had to be direct about it, and even if that caused some arguments, she was simply glad that they were able to talk the way they did.

Keani and Cody dropped the "I love you" lines in London, but Keani hadn't said it since. She felt like it was exclusive, not something she wanted to say all the time to wear out the meaning. There was something about saying the words out loud that had an effect on what she thought about their relationship. She had to admit to herself that she had loved Cody for quite some time, but she buried those emotions under another guy and her career. She was so glad that he knew now, that they were finally together again. She wasn't the most physically affectionate person, but she poured her heart and soul into the people whom she truly cared about. "What?" he laughed. "I'm not allowed to kiss my girlfriend?" Keani wrinkled her nose mockingly, pretending that she didn't adore the sound of that. He said girlfriend! She forgot that sometimes, that she was Cody Reyes' girlfriend again. "No, you're not allowed," she grumbled sarcastically, crossing her arms and turning her back to him. She couldn't hold her straight face and laughed, pulling him in for yet another kiss.

Keani immediately resented bringing up such a serious topic; she noticed the way Cody bridled at the sound of the conversation veering in an undesirable direction. "Where's all this coming from?" he asked. Keani flinched a bit; she hadn't been expecting such a charged reaction. "We have to stop doing this. We can't tip-toe around our relationship if we're going to make this work, Kee. You know me better than anyone. You know I wouldn't have made a move to initiate this unless I was sure it'd work. We will make it work." She tucked a piece hair behind her ear, thinking of what to say to that. "I know it'll work, love," she replied, a bit offended that he was considering that. "I... Just worry. Hey," she said, touching his face lightly. "Let's just drop it?" she offered wrapping an arm around him for a hug. "Let's go on the balcony!" she said cheerfully as if they hadn't spoken of such a topic. She took his hand and pulled him through the crowd. The balcony was large and had stairs leading into a garden. She wiggled her eyebrows at him as to say, "Look at this view!"

tagged: char as cody reyes <3 l words: 724 l OUTFIT! l notes: MOODY BOY!!!

Bitter.Sweet.Sundown. @caution

[char]

Ever since London, Cody couldn't seem to swipe any of the thoughts of Keani from his mind. She always seemed to be present, always the same in different scenarios-- memories. It didn't take much for her to come to mind these days. When she did, Cody was rarely too distracted to keep thoughts of her swirling through his head. This encouraged the thoughts, of course. Working on set, he recited his lines thinking that he was one or two lines closer to being reunited with her. When he went to sleep at night, he reassured himself she was another night closer to being in his arms. The whole week that he'd left behind had been rather tedious. Slow and unnerving, he'd made it through one day feeling even more impatient than the last. As irritable and undeniably exhausted he'd become over the course of one week, it all slipped away when he was reunited with Keani the previous night. Dinner at one of the greatest Los Angeles restaurants helped.

Now, they were here. All of Cody's waiting had finally paid off. The award show in general had been absolutely stunning. The decorations were gorgeous, the music was trendy. Even the after party was magnificent, and Cody didn't usually enjoy that particular aspect of any show. There was a first time for everything, he supposed. He wanted to change during his second relationship with Keani. He made some mistakes in their first round. Granted, Keani did, too. He had a hunch she'd correct her own mistakes, and he knew that she knew he'd correct his, too. Cody wouldn't deny he was jealous of Nathaniel during his time with Keani. Cody wanted to be the man holding Ke in his arms, even though he wouldn't openly admit it. All of the denial he'd felt in the last few months was uncanny. Why hadn't he fought for Keani sooner? He'd be lying if he said he hadn't loved her anymore during those few months. If anything, he hadn't loved her more.

His reasoning often confused him. Simply put, Cody was a complex individual who thought things over maybe a little too much. It was a blessing and a curse, he supposed. It was a blessing because he typically avoided doing anything too stupid. It was a curse because he thought things over and into insanity. Keani said he wasn't allowed to kiss her, mostly sarcastic. He gave her a skeptical look as she turned away. What? This whole flirting thing was rusty on his head, he could see. By the time Keani had pulled him for yet another kiss, Cody's mind was whirring as it often did. He'd missed the touch of her lips on him. He missed the sweet smell of her breath and the way her eyes fluttered open when they parted. All of these small quirks he found in a simple kiss made him love her more. All her quirks always had. "I'd be upset if I couldn't," he admitted. Cody wasn't a sex fiend or a whore. He was just... He was a man.

Now, he didn't match the misleading stereotypes at all. All of the talk that men thought about sex every six seconds was completely untrue, especially for Cody. Every now and then, he'd wish for something more... Intimate. After so long, he would have thought he and Keani would be somewhere closer to that point. He'd never force her to do anything she didn't want to, which is another reason why their relationship had lasted as long as it had. Among others, of course. Some of the downsides? Well, his short fuse when it came to talking about their relationship definitely needed to be addressed. He realized this at the sound of his own heated voice. The surprise in Keani's voice hurt him more than it should have. He smiled apologetically and shook his head. "I'm sorry," he apologized. That's really all he could fit in, fore she began pulling him through the strands of people. They ended up on a long balcony. "It's so beautiful out here," he sighed. Glancing at her, he was caught up in her beauty, too. "I love you, Keani." For whatever reason, he felt as though it needed to be said. They didn't say it often, but he knew enough to know why. His head gestured down the steps. "Care to take a walk?" he asked.

TAGGED Keani Beldivere
WORDS 739 words
OUTFIT HERE
WORDS sorry for this rambly mess.

[Deleted]

you cast a spell on me ,

Cody re-entering Keani's life didn't make big changes; it was a good thing that he fit so seamlessly into the picture, almost as if he hadn't left at all. Her father said "I told you so" when she told him the news of their London conversation. Malo always knew, particularly emphasized by the week that Cody spent in New York and the times he visited Malo and Keani's apartment. Cody had been there to film, and he had spent a great deal of his time with Keani. He even fell asleep at their house with Keani on his shoulder while they were watching a movie and left later than anyone had expected. Even while Keani was dating Nathaniel, she didn't feel completely satisfied. He made her very happy, lesser way than Cody did. Cody had a way of making her feel like she was the very best version of herself. Nathaniel made her feel ecstatic, but his absence didn't bring her heartache. It was different and not nearly as strong as what she felt for Cody. Nathaniel was whom she liked... Cody was whom she loved. She always wondered when it was that she fell in love with him. The first, unbroken six months of their relationship weren't nearly as wonderful as what they were now. They were fun, but she couldn't say they screamed love. What told her that she loved him and vice versa was the fact that they made it. They made it through all of the struggle to become a stronger couple.

There's a truth in the saying, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder," at least for Keani. The months without Cody made the Vineyard a milestone for them. That was why it set her on fire; it renewed everything she felt for him during their very first date. After being with Nathaniel and repressing her feelings for Cody, she knew that she was ready to take the leap with Cody again. She was glad that she waited a while after her break-up to figure everything out. She had to find out what she wanted and what went wrong with Cody in the first place. She had to know what was going to change during their second shot. Cody's career had grown in complexity and fame since their initial break-up -- which was caused by their busy jobs -- and Keani had to deal with that. She wondered for a while if it was going to break them, but she knew that they were going to make it. She honestly wanted no one else and didn't want to imagine her life without Cody in it. She knew him as a crush, boyfriend, ex-boyfriend, enemy, best friend, then boyfriend once again. He encompassed everything in her life at some point or another. She personally liked "boyfriend" the most, and maybe he would become something more in the future. She didn't like thinking about it much; she didn't want to get ahead and push him away with the pressure of the future. They had enough going on in the present.

Keani was a loving creature, but intimacy was never her specialty. She was very emotionally receptive with Cody, but her physical affection was never up to par. She was a private person, and she was a virgin. They both knew it at this point, and she was proud of Cody for being able to respect the fact that she was saving sex for marriage. She had no insecurities that Cody was going to be that guy, so waiting wasn't difficult for her. Granted, she still had temptations. She cared about Cody and felt close to crossing that line with him when they kissed passionately in her apartment or in London that one night, but she made a personal decision that she was going to stay pure until she had a ring on her finger. It wasn't necessarily a societal standard that she was keeping up with. It was her fear of trust, the fear that someone was going to take a part of her and walk out. After losing her mother, going through Jack Bailey's hell, and being cheated on -- three rather distinct parts of her life -- she couldn't find the heart to trust the way she did at one point. Cody and Kiah were the two people who had the most of her trust. She was in love with her best friend; what more could she ask for?

Keani knew Cody didn't mean to blow up at her. It wasn't like he was ever going to intentionally hurt her, and she was okay with that. She was glad that he was honest with her and showed her what he was feeling instead of beating around the bush. She was forgiving, but she wasn't a pushover. She just knew that Cody wasn't too keen on discussing their relationship on such... pessimistic terms. He didn't want to lose her again. Keani didn't hear much as she admired the view. She was staring down at the garden longingly. Crickets chirped, and the air was relatively warm for February. "I love you, Keani," she heard out of the white noise. She turned to him wordlessly, smiling softly and understandingly. "I know," she replied as she touched his face delicately. "I love you back." Tender moments were what she lived for, and they were a down-to-earth couple that didn't get many of the fancy, movie-worthy scenes in their relationship. They spent a lot of their time with Scrabble and Netflix and Hawaiian pizza these days. They were too busy to spend as much time together as they did on the set of Charlie St. Cloud. She was excited to see how Seven Years of Solitude was going to go. She was still waiting for the council to approve and get the producers to help her out on the project. She was anxious, and the feeling mingled with the butterflies in her belly as she stared into Cody's striking blue eyes.

"Care to take a walk?" he asked. Keani took his hand and let him lead her down the stairs. She walked cautiously in her heels for the first few steps, then she stopped and removed the shoes. She was about to walk through a garden, and she didn't want to do so with the click-clack of her heels on the floor. "Sorry," she said as the second shoe came off. She carried them in her free hand as they made it down the stairs. She felt much smaller with three inches off of her. "Wow," she whispered in awe as they walked around the garden. The lush vegetation was a deep green color with specks of every color imaginable in the bushes: blue, yellow, pink, red, white, purple... She couldn't even count how many different flowers there were. Trees loomed overhead, and vines wrapped around small wooden platforms in the garden. Keani noticed the nice quiet. She barely noticed the music from the party drifting across the garden as she admired the beauty of it. She squeezed Cody's hand, cherishing the time she was able to spend with him before he was off to work again. She had to work on finishing her novel and going to meetings for her newest project. She was also planning another trip to Vancouver to visit the set of Closer. They were both so busy: another blessing and curse.

tagged: char as cody reyes <3 l words: 1,224 l OUTFIT! l notes: Long ><

Bitter.Sweet.Sundown. @caution