》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。* 。° 。* 。 • ˚《

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。* 。° 。* 。 • ˚《

"Kaidyn, please get down from there!"

Lewis quickly ran over to the scoop him off the stand just below a painting worth millions of dollars that he was trying to get his hands on. "I swear he usually never misbehaves like this," he said towards his girlfriend Victoria Monét who joined him on the trip to Las Vegas this time. They were in Vegas for Keziyah's birthday, that happened to be the day from tomorrow on game 2 of the finals.

"He's just trying to embarrass me," Lewis added, and Kai snickered to himself.

Victoria chuckled softly, kneeling down and holding out her arms for a hug. Kai glady accepted the hug with a smile. "We bought you and Hazel a new Lego set to work on but you gotta promise to be good, okay?"

He nodded, and she held out her pinky, "pinky promise?" Kai sighed, hooking his pinky with hers. He really hated pinky promises...but he didn't want to disappoint Victoria. And then he and Hazel wasted no time and ran over to the living room to set up the Legos together.

"Are you sure you're okay with babysitting? I could stay with you if you want." Vic suggested, feeling bad that he was stuck on babysitting duty. "It's alright, love. I'll be fine. You have fun with the girls. Just make sure Kez feels loved tonight." Lewis assured, always worried for his bestfriend this time of year. It was the first time she was actually celebrating it with friends so he wanted everything to be perfect.

"We'll take really good care of her. Don't worry," Vic smiled, taking his hands in hers.

"Are y'all gon' kiss 'cause I really don't wanna see that," Kez voiced, walking down the stairs as she fixed her watch. Lewis rolled his eyes at her comment and watched as she walked over to check on the kids. "Could you be anymore annoying?" She smiled mockingly, kneeling down to pet Sargeant, "would you like me to?"

"You're lucky it's your birthday, 'cause I would've drop kicked you by now," Lewis mumbled.

"Oh yeah? Come on then. I dare you." Kez challenged, reaching for her earrings.

"I leave you alone for a minute and you're already trying to fight someone," Kelsey expressed in exasperation, rushing down the stairs as Vic held onto Lewis's shirt so he couldn't entertain this fight. "He started it." Kez scowled, and he scoffed in annoyance, "you're such a liar. You came out here and opened your big mouth to taunt me again. You started it. Kelsey- she started it."

"You're such a snitch," she sneered, throwing up a middle finger only for Kelsey to pull her hand back down. "Can you be nice to each other for five minutes? That's all I ask. Five minutes," she requested.

"Fine," Lewis huffed, moving to sit down on the couch, only for Kai to make him move to the other side so he wasn't in their way.

The rest of them sat down to put their heels on. "Is anyone gonna tell me where we're going?" Kez asked towards her fiance and Vic because they knew all the plans. A'ja and Syd had planned out everything with the help of Kelsey and Krissy so it was all a surprise to Kez. And she wasn't a huge fan of surprises. Lewis chuckled, knowing how much the suspense was killing her. "You're always surprising everyone else. Let them surprise you for once, sis."

"I hate you."

He held a hand over his chest in faux sadness, "I'm devastated, truly."

Luckily the doorbell rang before she could throw the nearest object at him. Vic ran over to get it because Kez was still fixing on her heels. Her brother Kaylen walked in, and instead of babysitting he was gonna join them, therefore why Lewis was stuck with the kids tonight. "Everyone is waiting outside in the bus so y'all better hurry up," he said.

Kez kneeled down to her son, holding out her arms and he set his Legos down to hug her. "Mama's gonna be home later, so you be good for your Uncle Lewis. Try not to give him a hard time, Ferrari does that for him, okay?" Lewis rolled his eyes at her comment- that wasn't exactly false. Driving for Ferrari was not for the weak. "Love you, Mama," Kai spoke, pressing a kiss to her cheek as she had froze in shock.

"Did he just-?" Kaylen furrowed his brows slightly, wondering if he heard that correctly.

"Talk? Yes, he did." Lewis nods, not really that surprised because he had a feeling Kai was gonna start speaking more.

"Don't cry." Kai wiped her tear away with a small smile and she just hugged him again. "I love you so much, baby boy."

When she pulled away Kelsey kneeled down to hug him next. "You promise you won't throw water balloons at Lewis?" He sighed in response, his head falling as he nodded. "I promise.." Lewis frowned in confusion, wondering why that even needed to be said. Kelsey smiled, pressing a kiss to his cheek and he grimaced at the lipstick, "gross mum." She chuckled, using her thumb to wipe the print off. "I love you. Be good."

After goodbyes, they headed out and walked towards the bus that A'ja most likely rented for the night. They stepped inside, and all the girls screamed to try and scare Kez- which didn't work, again. "Oh, my god. I told you that you can't scare me," she scolded, brushing the confetti off of her shoulders with a small chuckle.

"It was worth a shot," Syd shrugged, putting her arm back around her girlfriend's waist.

Kezie's eyes landed on Breanna, and her eye's widened in shock, "what the fuck? You're here?"

"I would never miss your birthday." Stewie replied, getting up to hug her. "Besides, I gotta smooth it over with you before we kick your ass," she added jokingly. Kez laughed dryly, "yeah, I'll let you believe that, sweetheart."

"Where's Sab?" Kelsey asked, taking a seat next to Chelsea.

"Sab and 'Nijah are gonna meet us there," A'ja informed, getting up to hug Kezie after Bre pulled away.

"There's no way you convinced Sab to come out tonight," Kez said in doubt knowing how that girl was before a big game.

"It was surprising easy. She's always wanted to party with you," Stewie shrugged, moving over to greet Victoria who she hadn't met yet.

"Kez, I have a surprise for you," Kate said excitedly, getting up to take her hand. "Close your eyes!" She went to object so A'ja went and covered her eyes as Kate led back out of the bus. "Is someone gonna run me over?" She joked nervously. She heard a car pull up in her driveway, and the door open. A'ja finally moved her hands just as the person stepped out of the driver's seat.

Kez smiled at the sight of Caitlin, "why am I not surprised that you're here?"

"I'm really offended that I had to be invited by Kate. You need to work on your friendship skills." Caitlin scolded playfully, pulling Kez into a hug as they laughed lightly. "I thought you'd be sick of me after I kicked your ass in the semis," she shot back. Caitlin laughed dryly, pinching her sides, "if I recall, I shot 38 that night- three points more than you- so technically you didn't kick my ass."

"You're right. My fiancé kicked your ass. 42 points, baby." Kez teased, throwing an arm around her shoulders.

"You know- I really don't understand what Kelsey sees in you," Caitlin retorts in playful annoyance.

"That's just offensive. I'm starting to see why I didn't invite you."

"Please." Caitlin scoffs, following them into the bus, "I came here for Kelsey. You're just the extra."

"What does that even mean??"

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"No, no, you're staying here. We have an extra bed." Kez insisted, opening up Caitlin's car to grab her suitcase. "Are you sure? I feel like I'm intruding," Caitlin says in doubt. "I'm not letting you stay in a Vegas hotel. You know how many germs live on those beds? It's disgusting. You will stay here until you're ready to leave. I'm a very persistent person so I really won't take no for an answer."

"I guess I have no choice then. Thank you, Kez." Caitlin smiled, taking the suitcase out of her hands because she was really drunk.

"We're friends. Don't make it weird." Kez replied, patting her shoulder before moving past her to get to the door. She glanced at the garage and noticed Kamari's purple Jaguar F-Type she got for her birthday. "Babygirl's back home!" She expressed drunkenly, putting her arms around her fiancé's shoulders. Victoria came over to help her unlock the door because she was struggling holding up Kez's weight.

"Okay, let's get you in bed," Kelsey said, moving to put an arm around her waist to help her inside.

"Noo. I wanna see my babies." She protested, kicking off her heels and letting go of Kelsey to go up the stairs in search of her kids.

"Bloody hell, I haven't seen her that drunk in months," Lewis comments, getting up off the couch and rubbing his eyes tiredly as Kelsey quickly ran after her. "Some guy at the club challenged her to a shot contest and well...that happened." Victoria explained, voice coated with amusement. "She was never one to back down from a challenge," he noted, leading her over to the couch.

Caitlin walked in and shut the door, setting her suitcase down to remove her shoes. "Who's the tall girl?" Lewis whispered to his girlfriend and she chuckled. "That's Caitlin, remember? Kez said she could stay here. Go say hi. She's a sweetheart." Victoria encouraged, patting his chest. Lewis knew who Caitlin Clark was, but obviously he hadn't recognized her from that far away. They never got introduced, but he was familiar with her due to Kezie's friendship with her and Kamari's mild obsession from when she played in Iowa.

"Hey, I'm Lewis- Keziyah's best friend and Victoria's boyfriend." He spoke, catching her attention as she set her heels aside. She smiled politely, taking his outstretched hand, "hey. I'm Caitlin. It's nice to meet you. I love your work in F1. I hope I get to come to a race next year." He grinned at the compliment, of course, he was just like Kez- loved all the praise to fuel his ego. "Thank you so much. Just let me know when you're schedule is clear so I can personally invite you to the garage."

"I'm a Formula One driver too, in case anyone forgot-" Kaylen butted in, shutting the front door.

"Not everything's a competition- but I am better than you. 8x champion here, mate." Lewis smiled innocently, putting his hands up in a playful manner as he walked back to the couch when Vic was snickering. "Ever since you signed that Ferrari contract you became an arrogant asshole. I hope you know that." Kaylen shot back, kicking off his shoes and pushing them to the side.

"I deserve to be arrogant," Lewis mumbled, plopping down on the couch and laying his head on his girlfriend's lap.

"CC, come up here!" Kamari called from the top of the staircase, waving her over. Caitlin was quick to listen- really wanting out of whatever argument was about to happen is Lewis kept antagonizing Kaylen. "My mum said you were staying over. You can take my bed. I'm sleeping on the couch tonight." She said, leading her down the hall. "Are you sure?" Caitlin questioned with uncertainty.

"Yes girl. Trust me, that couch is so comfortable I'm taking it with me when I get my own place," Kamari expressed in full seriousness. Caitlin chuckled in response, continuing to follow her, but she couldn't help but notice the singing from down the hall. They stopped at Kaidyn's room where the singing was coming from. "My brother likes my mum to sing him a song before bed. I used to do it too when I was young. Too old for that now," Mari explained, leaning against the doorframe so they could both listen.

Kez was laying down in the small bed with Kaidyn and Hazel both curled up next to her singing a lullaby they requested. Kelsey was by the door waiting for her to be done- and also to make sure she didn't fall asleep with them. "How does she sound even better when she's drunk?" Caitlin pondered, and Kelsey couldn't help but crack a chuckle.

Kamari took Caitlin's arm to lead her away. She pushed the door open to her room and Caitlin couldn't help but notice how clean and neat everything was- including the lavender smell lingering in the air. She had a desk setup in the corner for her streaming and gaming, obviously. There was a queen size bed with fluffy green bedding and mushroom pillows, even a leaf shaped throw blanket. Her large wooden bookshelf had her many trophys and books, including a Grammy she won after being featured in one of her mum's songs.

"This looks cozy," Caitlin mumbled, setting her suitcase against the wall.

"Thank you. Kelsey helped me with the whole set up," Kamari smiled, loving when she received compliments. "The bathroom is just in there if you want to shower. There's clean towels in there and if you need some soap, toothpaste, or even tampons, any of that is gonna be in the drawers. Help yourself to anything you need. The remote to the TV is on the bedside table if you wanna watch anything. My mum gets all the apps for free, so you can just click on my profile for any app."

"Before I go-" Kamari stopped by the door and turned to look at Caitlin, "I have to pick up my mum's birthday present that Kelsey bought her, and I need someone to drive me there. Would you be open to picking up a Bengal cat with me?"

Caitlin squints in suspicion, "Kelsey put you in charge of picking up a Bengal cat?"

"I know, right?! I was shocked too! She doesn't trust me to pick up pizza so this is a huge step!" Kamari expressed with a bright smile.

"Um, okay sure, why not? I don't have to leave until another day so I got time," Caitlin shrugged nonchalantly. "Brilliant. We also have to go pick up the packages for said cat. Goodnight!" She smiled, waving her fingers before pulling open the door to leave. Her dog Sargeant was waiting for her so he quickly got up to follow her back downstairs.

"Goodnight, you beautiful children." Kez pressed a kiss to Kaidyn's head before moving to the other bed to press a kiss to Hazel's head. "Now I need to pee." She mumbled, quickly rushing out of the room to run to the bathroom.

"Is Mama drunk?" Kaidyn questioned to Kelsey who kneeled down to press a kiss to his head. "Uh..yes, absolutely. But, don't worry, she'll be okay in the morning." She assured. "Get some sleep." She left the night light on for them before leaving the room to let them sleep.

She walked upstairs to their bedroom and immediately spotted Kez sitting on the floor messing with a puzzle Kai left there. "What are you doing?" Kelsey queried, unzipping the back of her dress. "Solving a puzzle Kai didn't finish." She mumbled, super concentrated on the puzzle as she grabbed the last five pieces. She placed each piece down and smiled when it was complete. "That was too easy. How unfortunate. We need to get him harder puzzles."

"Babe, it was unfinished because he was struggling with it," Kelsey pointed out.

"Right. I forgot he's still a child." Kez hummed, pulling herself up with the help of the bedframe. She sat down at the edge, watching her fiancé get undressed with a smirk on her lips. "I hope you have a hangover cure 'cause you gotta be 100% by practice or Becky's gonna kill you," Kelsey spoke, her back turned as she walked into the closet.

"I'm a doctor. Of course, I have a hangover cure," Kez retorts. When Kelsey came back out, a towel and some clothes in her arm, Kez frowned. "What are you doing?" She reached over to grab her hand, pulling her over. "I have to take a shower. I smell like weed and booze," she chuckled, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

Kez sighed, burying her face into her neck to inhale her scent, "no, no, you smell good...really good." She smiled, pressing kisses along her neck, her arms hooking around her waist to pull her over her lap.

"Keziyah. You're drunk. We can't have sex tonight when you're runnin' on THC and Hennessy," Kelsey stated, moving away so she could stop kissing her neck to listen. Kez sighed, her head dropping tiredly onto her shoulder, still leaving a small kiss where her name was tatted on Kelsey's skin. It was the same design she had under her v-line, only with her name this time. Kelsey got it the night she proposed.

"Can we still make-out? Just for a little bit." She smiled, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth as her hand slowly glided up her back, coercing her to arch her body towards her. "C'mon, I need you so bad."

"You get five seconds."

Within the second, Kez immediately connected their lips in a deep kiss that completely caught her off guard. Her tatted hands slid under the back of her thighs and flipped her onto the bed with their lips still intact. It was way more than five seconds and her goal was to make her forget all about the five second rule anyways.

She smirked, pulling away to trail kisses along her neck, Kelsey's legs tightened around her waist, her eyelids fluttering closed. "You're so fuckin' sexy." When Kez's hands reached for her bra, she quickly caught on and pushed Kez off so she plopped down onto the bed next to her. "Ow."

"Did you seriously think I was gonna fall for that?" Kelsey scoffed, quickly getting up as Kez just was smirking, "...I mean...you were into it for a sec there, your thighs don't clench for no reason, baby."

She laughed dryly, "cute. But, I told you, no sex."

Kez pouted at her, "you're so bossy." Kelsey just rolled her eyes- knowing what was gonna come out of her mouth next. "It's hot."

"Clean up and go to sleep, Keziyah. I can satisfy myself." She stated, picking up her towel and clothes that fell when she got...distracted. She perked up, "can I watch?" Kelsey blinked, the question sounding completely ridiculous right now. "No! Absolutely not. It is not the time for that."

Kez frowned, plopping back down into the pillows, "can we have sex tomorrow at least? I won't drink...actually, I will, but it'll just be a glass of wine...and a joint or two."

"I'll think about it," she shrugged, walking into the bathroom.

Kez pursed her lips, staring up the ceiling, "...that's not a no.."

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。* 。° 。* 。 • ˚《

@keziyah

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keziyah birthday week 🫶🏾 thank you to my wonderful teammates and family for making this such a lovely experience 🤍✨️ blessed 🙏🏽 💜

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keziyah *pinned* photo creds 😇 ty babes @sydjcolson & @kristinaluvstrack 📸
⇘ sydjcolson you're so welcome 🙏🏾

kelseyplum10 cute post babe 💜 come downstairs now 🫶
liked by creator
⇘ keziyah are you gonna jump me?
⇘ kelseyplum10 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ why would I jump you?
⇘ keziyah bc I ate all the donuts...am I not in trouble?
⇘ kelseyplum10 Thank you for telling me that. 😊
⇘ keziyah so...now you're definitely gonna jump me?
⇘ sydjcolson Get downstairs before I jump you.

aja22wilson love you 🥹💜
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⇘ keziyah luv u more sis 🥹🫶🏽

kamarikumalo best mum ever 🥹🫶🏾 happy birthday
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⇘ keziyah i love you babygirl ☺️🫶🏽

caitlinclark22 ik i already said it but happy birthday beautiful 🫶🫶
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⇘ keziyah thank you caity 😇🫶🏽

breannastewart30 HAPPY BIRTHDAY ☺️🫶🥹💜🎉🎁✨️🥢🍃🍷🥳😻🐐💐🍑
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⇘ keziyah are the chopsticks bc I'm asian?
⇘ breannastewart30 yes 😊
⇘ sydjcolson So we're just gon ignore the peach?
⇘ keziyah yes

sydjcolson HAPPY BIRTHDAY BESTIE!! 😘😘😘 i am officially professing my love for you 🙏🏾 PICK ME! CHOOSE ME! LOVE ME! 😓
⇘ keziyah you pmo
⇘ sydjcolson I DIDNT HEAR A NO??

sabrina_i can't wait to whoop you tomorrow birthday girl 😍💐
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⇘ keziyah there's something so oddly attractive about you calling me birthday girl with those heart eyes idk how to explain it (apologies if your husband sees this)
sabrina_i you're so strange 😂 i love it

lewishamilton you're pushing 40, get to moisturizing sis I'm starting to see wrinkles 😂🫶🏾
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⇘ keziyah shush, we're supposed to be vampires
⇘ lewishamilton elijah had wrinkles 🤷🏾‍♂️
⇘ keziyah ntm on my man please xx
this comment was deleted!
⇘ lewishamilton @kelseyplum10

stephcurry30 Happy Birthday Kez 💜 get that championship sis!!
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⇘ keziyah Thank you brother 🥹💜 look at that @sabrina_i he made his choice!
⇘ sabrina_i 😂😂 he'll regret it
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kaylenkumalo happy birthday sisi 🫶🏽 you make me proud always 💜
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⇘ keziyah stop you know I'm an ugly crier 🥲🫶🏽💜

victoriamonet Happy Birthday Kez 💜
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⇘ keziyah thank you 💜💜

katemartin Happy Birthday Reid!! 🥳💜
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⇘ keziyah luv you my money girl 🫶🏽

paigebueckers Happy birthday you angel of a woman 🫶💜
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⇘ keziyah thank you p ☺️🫶
⇘ r.ickea can confirm she is blushing 🫠

alyshaclark happy birthday mama 🤩🤩so proud of u 🫶🏽🫶🏽
liked by creator
⇘ keziyah love u 🥹🥹

tiphayes3 HAPPY BDAY KEZIE 💜💜💜
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⇘ keziyah thank youuu 🥹💜

kb1official_ HAPPY BDay Ziyahhh 🥳💜
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⇘ keziyah Thank youu 🤩🫶🏽

dijonai__ happy birthday beautiful 🥹💜
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⇘ keziyah you're so amazing 🥹 thank u

j.young5 🔥 🔥🔥🔥
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⇘ keziyah you couldn't have typed at least one word jackie?
⇘ j.young5 🙅🏿‍♀️

t__cloud9 happy birthday kez 🤩🫶🏽 dt says happy birthday (and she hopes you get forehead wrinkles)
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⇘ keziyah love u tash 🥹 (this is why i retired her old ass)
⇘ _klc215 telling her you said that
⇘ keziyah tell her i said xoxo

nika.muhl happy birthday pretty woman 🥹🫶
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⇘ keziyah thank you 🥹 come to vegas more xx kamari misses u
⇘ kamarikumalo KAMARI SO DOES

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》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。* 。° 。* 。 • ˚《

"Why do I feel like I'm about to get sacrificed?"

Syd snickered at her comment as she helped her down the stairs whilst her eyes were shut closed. Kez was practically gripping onto her shoulder and the railing for dear life. "I'm getting a strong scent of vanilla, is my mum here?" Kez questioned. "That's just me. Sorry mum." Kamari mumbled, rubbing her neck awkwardly.

Kelsey went over and took her fiancé's hand. "Hey babe," Kez smirked, and the fact that she knew it was her kind of freaked some of them out. "Can you see me?" She asked, waving her hand in front of her fiancé's blindfolded eyes. "I can't see anything. Isn't that the point?" She retorts sarcastically. "How'd you know it was me?" Kelsey queried, leading her to the couch.

"I know what you feel like," she shrugged nonchalantly, plopping onto the couch.

"That's not weird at all," Caitlin mumbles under her breath, gaining a small chuckle from Mari.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now," Kelsey said, pulling off her blindfold. She blinked to get adjusted the light and when it cleared up, it was impossible not to notice the big present box in front of her. "Is Mariah Carey in there?" Was the first thing to come out of her mouth. Many of them couldn't hold back their chuckles hearing that. "That's what I said!" Syd grinned, raising her hand for a high five that Kez actually returned, "twins minus the height!"

"Y'all share one braincell I swear," A'ja comments.

"Yoh, I drove across town pickin' that up, you betta open it," Mari input impatiently. Caitlin was quick to correct her, "you mean I drove across town." She waved her off, "ja ja, we both did hard work. Got matching scratches to prove it."

Kez raised a brow when the top of the lid popped open and the box continued to shift around. "Okay- what is that? A baby cheetah?" She exclaimed, quickly getting up to inspect the box. "Open it and find out, sisi," Kaylen shot back and she flipped her little brother off in response.

She reached her hand out to push the lid off and that's when the Bengal cat completely jumped out onto her shoulders. "Oh my God, there's a mini Jaguar on me!" She exclaims, holding back every urge to scream so she didn't scare it. "I always knew it was gonna be a Jaguar to take me out," she added, but was baffled by all their laughter.

Kelsey got up and quickly put on Kezie's glasses so she could actually see the animal. "How are you so calm- oh wait, it's really cute." Her voice dropped softly and she smiled as the cat purred against her neck. She awed, "oh, my god, it's a Bengal cat. Is he mine?" She scooped him off her shoulders and into her arms, he was relatively calm compared to the way he acted when Mari and Caitlin picked him up.

"He's all yours, babe," Kelsey answered, petting him on his furry head.

"What are you gon' name him?" A'ja asked, still holding her phone up because she was obviously recording this.

"Name him Lewis," Lewis added jokingly.

"I'm gonna name you Kyu," Kez smiled through her tears, pressing a kiss to his head. He jumped out of her arms to run around the room, inspecting everyone.

"Of course, he gets an adorable name after slashing me up," Mari scowled as the cat walked past her with his head held high up. "He's such a diva," she muttered bitterly.

An hour later after opening up her presents from everyone, they were up in the bedroom getting ready before they had to leave for practice. For some reason, Becky said she didn't have to come in for another hour but everyone else on team was already there so that was a bit suspicious and she knew Kelsey had a lot to do with it because she kept stalling. "I have a question for you," Kez spoke, taking her eyes off of Kyu to look at her fiancé.

Kelsey pulled her shirt over her head with a small hum. "Yes?"

"How did you know I wanted a Bengal cat? Pretty sure the only one who knew was Lewis- and he said he didn't tell you, so who did?" She questioned, laying back on her elbows whilst Kyu was just running on the cat exercise wheel they setup in the room for him. "When we were in Korea earlier this year spending time with your dad, he was saying how he didn't understand why you never got a cat 'cause you seemed like such a cat person. I asked him if he were to get you one, which breed would it be. He said you liked Bengal cats 'cause they match your energy."

"So, you planned my birthday present since January?" Kez smiled, and Kelsey blushed, ducking her head as she pulled on some sweatpants, "...I like to be prepared."

"The best thing I ever did was go to that preseason game," she spoke, pulling herself up to stand. "Best thing I ever did was ignore you at that preseason game," Kelsey replied with a smug smile, loving just how much it bothered Kez to this day. "That was so mean of you. I was always nothing but nice to you before," Kez mumbled.

"Nice to me? You fouled me on our first game- when I was a rookie, mind you," she shot back defensively.

"Well, if you had just called me like I asked you to- I would've made it up to you," Kez said with a small smirk, sitting back down at the edge of the bed. Kyu was climbing up on the curtains paying them no mind at all. "How about you make it up to me now?" Kelsey suggested, climbing over her lap and taking her hands to pull them around her waist.

Biting back a smirk, she leaned in closer, her breath fanning over her neck causing shivers to go down her back. "You're stalling."

"And you're gonna fall for it every single time, aren't you?" Kelsey smiled, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"Wouldn't be right if I didn't."

» »

@keziyah

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keziyah meet (큐) kyu :)

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» » 

Kelsey parked the car outside the facility and glanced into the backseat where Mari was still struggling to put on Kyu's collar as he kept jumping around and hissing at her anytime she tried to grab him. "I don't think he likes you," she noted. "It's so weird! I love cats! Cats love me! What is his problem?" Mari complained, slumping back into the seat with a defeated sigh.

"Kyu, come here," Kez called him over in Korean and he jumped across onto her lap.

"This is why I have a dog instead," Mari muttered, handing her the collar and leash.

"You look so handsome," Kez awed, adjusting his collar with a smile. She attached the leash to his little vest and opened the door so they could get out. They walked down the lot, getting to the building doors. She used her card to unlock the doors and they walked in. When they got closer to the locker room, Mari took ahold of the leash. Kyu immediately tugged on it as soon as she got ahold of it. "Don't be actin' up now, Kitty!" She scolded.

"He should not be dragging you. Use your muscles. He's a cat. You're an athlete," Kelsey scolded, nudging her arm with a judgemental stare. "You think I'm being dramatic? You try and walk him." Kamari handed her the leash and Kyu immediately stopped tugging, beginning to walk calmly as Kelsey held the leash. Kez cackled loudly as Mari stood there completely baffled and offended. "I give up. He hates me. There's no fixing him."

Kez stopped in front of the locker room door, hearing lots of shuffling and muffled voices. "Hey babe, I think they're sacrificing a baby goat in there."

"What even brought you to that conclusion?" Kamari deadpanned.

Kelsey chuckles, "just open the door."

"What if they try to sacrifice me next?" Kez shot back, and Mari pushed her out of the way to open the door. She let go of the leash and Kyu ran inside with excitement. The lights were off when they walked in. "Did we miss practice?" Kez pondered aloud, eyes scanning the dark room. That's when the lights flipped on and everyone jumped out screaming, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!"

Kez smiled, still unfazed by their little attempt to scare her. "This is so sweet. I think I'm gonna cry." She sniffled, reaching up to wipe her eyes as they all ran to embrace her. Whilst that was happening, Mari was trying to get Kyu off the top of Kate's locker where he climbed up, now just sitting there as he watched her beg him to come back down. "Get down here, Kitty! That's Kate's locker! You can't just climb into people's stuff!" She scolded.

They pulled away to let the coaches get in a hug with her, including Becky's two little boys Cayden and Samuel who were super excited to see Kaidyn. "Where's Kai?" Sam asked bluntly, looking around and frowning when he only seen Kamari there. "Uhh, he's with his uncle. But, he's on his way to drop him off so you'll see Kai soon," Kez explained gently, patting their heads softly.

"Cake time!" Syd exclaimed excitedly, bursting through the door holding the long white box. She was on cake duty. Why? She volunteered herself, obviously.

They had her sit in a chair as everyone gathered around to sing- probably horribly cause none of them could hit a high note without straining their vocal cords. Syd lifted the cover up for everyone to see the picture on the cake sheet. It was an edited picture of Syd dunking on Kez. "It came out so perfect. You're welcome," she voiced, smiling down at her work.

"You're never allowed to be on cake duty again."

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The Aces team were on their way to New York for game 3. Game 1 on Keziyah's birthday was a win by the Aces, and Game 2 was a win by the Liberty, unfortunately. They didn't take the loss very well, and that was very much shown in the press conferences. None of them were really in a good mood after that. It was a series of 7, but that didn't mean they weren't gonna take every win and loss seriously. The WNBA championship was on the line. None of this was taken lightly.

"What are you looking at?" Syd asked, sitting down in the chair beside Kez as Kelsey was fast asleep in the seat by the window.

"Wedding gown sketches Cami sent me to look at," Kez answered, zooming out on the laptop to show her the full sketch of one of the dresses. "It's pretty, but it doesn't feel like you," Syd comments. "Maybe I shouldn't wear a dress," she mumbled, flipping to the next sketch. "You're thinkin' suit?" Syd asked, raising a brow at her.

"I'm not sure. Nothing feels right," she replied, clearly feeling conflicted about all these choices and decisions that had to be made.

"You probably just need more options. Don't stress," Syd assured, patting her shoulder in support. "How did you pick out the dress for your first wedding?" She asked, really wanting to help her figure this out, not just because it might affect her game- but because she cared and wanted Kez to actually enjoy picking out dresses for her wedding.

Kez pursed her lips awkwardly, really hating the memory. "Uh, I actually didn't pick it out. His mother did."

Syd blinked in shock, "and you let her?"

"She already didn't approve- I didn't want to make it worse," she explained weakly, grimacing at those memories.

"Oh, my- where was your backbone?"

Kez chuckled in amusement, "love makes you do stupid things. Those weren't my proudest moments. I never actually sat down and really thought about things before I did them. I don't ever want to be that person who's too infatuated with someone to the point you'd have regrets looking back at your time with them. That was my mistake. And I won't be making it again. But, I am grateful for the lesson it has taught me."

"I really love your ability to turn everything into a lesson of life. It's a good way to go about things," Syd said, always appreciating when she heard it 'cause it was always pretty helpful with her own life. "Thank you," Kez smiled in appreciation. "Where'd you get to be so wise?" She questioned. "My parents. When I was a kid, they turned everything into a life lesson to the point it was annoying me. As I got older and experiencing life- I realized just how right they were."

"I wish I saw life like you do," Syd mumbled, and Kez- being the observant woman she was, noticed the conflicting gaze in her eyes. She closed her laptop and set it aside so she had her full attention. "Talk to me, sis."

Syd almost sighed in relief, still feeling confliction, but she did know what she wanted to ask. She's wanted to ask for months but was never brave enough to actually ask Kez in fear she'd take it the wrong way. "How did you know you were ready to marry Kelsey? Not that I think you're makin' a mistake or anything- it's really more about me, not your relationship-"

Kez knew what she meant but she didn't want to address that further 'cause Syd was clearly stressed out enough. "Marriage was always something I never cared for when I was younger. It was this topic I strictly avoided in relationships. Ya know, marriage is a huge commitment, and obviously I wasn't very good with commitment, so why would I entertain the thought of it? When I got married the first time, it didn't feel like it was for me. It felt like the wedding was for everyone else's pleasure rather than mine."

"The divorce was the worst part 'cause it felt like there was no hope for me. I felt like I'd always be that girl who couldn't commit to a person, but I also couldn't stand the thought of being alone. So, for a while my perspective shifted on marriage. And I'll admit, when I first showed interest in Kels, it wasn't for the right reasons. I wasn't looking for a relationship with her. A connection just formed between us and I couldn't go a minute without thinking about her. I had so many sleepless nights just because she wasn't laying in bed next to me. It got to the point where I couldn't imagine a future without her in it. I took a day to really think about what I wanted, and what I wanted was commitment. I wanted marriage. But, I also wanted her to want it just as much as I did. And if you want marriage with Amadi, you need to figure out what you want and communicate with her. It's important to make sure you're both on the same page."

"I didn't say it was about that-"

Kez shrugged a shoulder, "you didn't have to. I already know. You're not a very hard book to read."

"It's just...it seems like she's ready, but I'm not and I want to be ready for her, but again, like you said, I shouldn't make a decision based on what someone else wants," Syd explained. Kez hums, taking her words in mind, "hmm. What's stopping you from being ready?"

"I'm scared."

"Oh, I get it. You're scared of it not working out," Kez stated, reading that out of her very quickly. Syd frowned, "how'd you know?"

"That was the entire reason I held off on proposing so long," she shrugged, carefully reaching over her sleeping fiancé to steal the popcorn bag she had beside her. "So, how do I get over it? How'd you get over it? Help a sister out here," Syd pleaded, desperate for some helpful advice that could help her get over this.

"After my godmum died, I was scared of everything. I thought I was cursed. I thought everything good that has happened to me will eventually come to an end. And I thought she'd say no. I thought maybe I would fuck it up again like I fucked up the first one. But, fear does nothing but hold you back. Back when I was in my twenties, partying and getting intoxicated every other night, there was this thing that me and Lewis would always say. We should never base our decisions on 'what ifs'. You can't move past your fear if your only fear is 'what if?'."

"In another life, you were a president," Syd retorts jokingly, getting a small laugh from her. "But seriously, thanks for the advice. I'ma talk to Madi as soon as we get back home."

"My pleasure," Kez smiled, "and if you need help with a ring, I know a few places you can look at."

» »

Stumbling into their loft in New York, she was pushed up against the wall- barely five steps through the door, their luggage carelessly thrown aside as they peeled at each other's clothes. Kez broke off first so Kelsey just moved down her neck as she reached for her phone that continued to vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out, lifting it to see who was calling. "Mm, you're mum's callin' me," Kez mumbled, and Kelsey broke away, "what? Why?"

"It's probably 'bout Kaidyn," she figured, answering the call and pressing it up to her ear. They talked for maybe a minute or two before she was about to hang up, "mhm, yes ma'am, I'll tell her. Thank you for informing me. Bye."

"What was that about?" Kelsey asked, across from her leaning up against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest.

"She just wanted to know what to order Kai in case he didn't like dinner. I told her he liked Little Ceasars. And she told me to tell you that she sent you a list of dress shops to look at. I'm guessing you haven't told her that Camilla is designing your dress," Kez spoke, a bit curious as to why Kelsey hasn't told her mother yet. Then again, she couldn't judge much given how pissed off Kaikara was when Kez allowed her now former mother in law to decide her wedding dress. The first wedding brought much drama so she tried not to think about it.

"Before you judge me- I haven't told her because I know she's gonna get upset- thinkin' she has no say in anything and I know her first instinct would be to blame you. She thinks I'm like obsessed with you to the point I'd let you decide everything for the wedding. Which we both know isn't true- but that ain't gonna stop her from jumpin' to conclusions." Kez just nodded as her fiancé continued to ramble, and to be honest, she only heard a couple words- everything else was a blur. Her focus was on something else.

"I feel like you didn't hear a word I just said."

"Yes I did," she lied.

"Okay. What did I just say?"

"You said...something about being obsessed with me...?" Kez scratched her brow, her answer coming out more like a question. Kelsey chuckled in amusement at the fact that her eyes weren't even on her face but just full on staring at her chest- given she was only in a bra, a purple one at that. "My eyes are up here, Z," she retorts with a teasing smile.

"I would apologize but like- it feels disrespectful to ignore them when they're right in my face." Kez defended, and in her head it was a very strong argument. To Kelsey on the other hand, it was really silly.

A frown found it's way to her lips when Kelsey picked up her shirt to put back on. "I would love to continue this but the jet lag is hitting me and I need to shower before I go unconscious. I'm so sorry babe- I feel so bad. I really didn't mean to like- lead you on or anything-" Kez quickly shushed her with a kiss, sliding her arms around her waist with gentleness, "don't ever apologize or feel bad for that. I will be fine."

"I'm so happy I'm marrying you," Kelsey smiled, pressing a peck to her cheek.

Kez smiled, reaching behind her to turn on the light switches in the penthouse. And when they turned, their smiles quickly faded at the mess they were faced with. "I'm gonna kill Miles," she stated. As usual, they let him stay there for a couple weeks because he had some kind of business in New York and her being the good friend she was, said he could just stay at their place like he always did.

"I'm gonna let you handle this," Kelsey decided. She'd rather not get involved given how much of a clean freak her fiancé was, this sight definitely triggered the doctor in her. The place looked like a germ factory and she did not wanna be there when Kez went off on Miles. So she grabbed the keys to their bedroom and gave her a kiss on the lips before heading upstairs where it was cleaner.

Kez immediately went to grab cleaning supplies in the hallway closet while also calling Miles phone for the 5th time since he had yet to answer. If she had to hear that voicemail message one more time- she was gonna have Lewis kick his ass back to New York so she could personally kick his ass back to London. It's almost like he heard her say that in her head cause the next time she called, he picked it up. "Before you start- give me a minute to explain. I called the manager up front and he said the housekeeper had quit- and I had 20 minutes to get to the airport so I had to leave the place like that or I'd miss my flight-"

"What are my five rules, Miles?"

She could hear his audible sigh of defeat, "do I have to?"

"What are my five fucking rules, Miles?"

He gulped nervously, glancing over at his amused best friend, Lewis. "You better answer her. You're in dangerous territory mate," he snickered, running his hand over Kyu's soft fur. He was catsitting- despite not being a cat person. "Rule one, always take your shoes off. Rule two, wash your hands before touching anything. Rule three, do not go into the rooms off limits. Rule four, no more than two guests allowed. Rule five, clean up after yourself. I get it, Kez. I apologize for the mess. I'll pay the cleaning fee if that helps."

"Five rules. Miles. Five fucking rules and you break the most important ones. You know how I feel about messes in my residences. I don't like them. This place looks like a bacteria factory- there's probably a new fucking disease in here. I said two guests allowed and you invited six people I don't know into my place- what is wrong with you? Do you have a death wish?!" She ranted angrily, picking up all the trash left on her expensive couch.

"How'd she know I had six people over? Did you snitch?" Miles accused of Lewis who scoffed at the assumption. "Fuck off. Why would I tell her? So she could blame me for not telling her? I don't have a death wish, man."

"You're banned from staying here, Miles. Next time ask Lewis for his place. You're done." Kez stated calmly, hitting the decline button and setting her phone to the side to disinfect later.

A few hours later, Kelsey woke up from her sleep and walked downstairs. The living room area was spotless clean compared to the disaster it was when they got there. There was no sign of Kez anywhere but she could hear the echo of music from her record player down the hall. She followed the music and pushed open the door to her fiancé's art studio. There she was, sitting down on the paint covered marble floor that typically got scrubbed each week so it wouldn't face damage. There was a paint pallet in her hand and a brush in the other with a canvas in front of her.

She wanted to ask what it was, but she'd only receive a cryptic answer so she avoided doing that. Kez took her eyes off the canvas to see her fiancé. "Was the music too loud? I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No, you didn't. I didn't hear it until I came downstairs." She answered, and Kez beckoned her over with a simple move of her head. She grabbed a paint stained pillow from the couch and set it on the floor before sitting down on it. "I'm guessing this is your way of calming down so you don't impulsively kill Miles," Kelsey spoke.

"Yes. It was painting or meditation and that's quite hard to do when you're in New York," Kez mumbled, swiping some paint over the canvas again. She didn't even have to look at her face to know how badly she wanted to ask what the painting was. "You mind if I tell you a story?"

"I don't mind at all."

"When Mari was being treated for leukemia at my mum's hospital, she made friends with this boy. His name was Khalil, and he had a heart condition. My mum was his doctor. His chances weren't the best, and my mum said even after the surgery, there was a chance he wouldn't make it past 10 years old. Back then, I was really into painting- cause it kept me calm and I had always been so stressed because of Mari's condition. He liked watching me paint and even asked if I could paint him something. So, on the way to the OR, he was scared, and I promised him that every five years I would paint him a picture of whatever he wanted."

"Did he make it?" Kelsey asked, almost scared to know 'cause she could see how much Kez cared about him.

"Uh-huh. In a few days, he turns 20. He asked me to paint him a picture of Lewis's Ferrari in F1. Little traitor," she muttered the last part under her breath but Kels still caught it and chuckled. "You have a really bad habit of misleading me. I did not know where that was going at all." Kez smiled innocently, "my bad, baby. But at least you know what I'm painting now."

"How come I'm just now finding out about him?"

"Uhh, I guess it just never came up? He's really busy with college so we don't get to talk a lot," she shrugged nonchalantly. Kelsey hummed, moving to sit behind her so she could wrap her arms around her, resting her head on her back as she continued to paint. "What are we thinking for dinner tonight? I'm open to anything but pizza." She asked, reaching to unclasp her white paint-stained overalls.

Pulling her bottom lip between her teeth, she couldn't properly think straight with the fingers tracing along her back tattoo. She sucked in a breath, "...what are you doin' back there?"

"Appreciating my beautiful fiancé's tattoos," Kelsey mumbled, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. She pulled her straps up to clasp them back together, "but I can go if it's a distraction." Kez quickly shook her head and turned around, "you're never a distraction in here, love. But, I'd love for you to go get dressed because I'm gonna take you on a date tonight."

Her eyes grew bright with excitement, "really?"

"Mhm. It's long overdue, my love." Kez smiled, taking her hand and pressing a kiss to her knuckles, thumb just brushing over her engagement ring as she let go. "Oh, my god. I have no idea what to wear. You should've told me this sooner! Now I have to call A'ja." She smacked her shoulder, quickly getting up and rushing out of the room.

"And I thought I was supposed to be the girly one," Kez mumbled, rubbing her shoulder even though the smack felt like being hit by one of her son's stuffed animals.

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a/n: this was supposed to be the last chapter but....it got to 20k words so i had to cut it in half 🧍‍♀️

anyways, next chapter is the last one i promise y'all xx

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