"Holy shit," Kyoya said, trying to catch his breath. He pulled Laney down with him as he collapsed on the couch. "I think you just fulfilled every single one of my 17-year-old self's fantasies."
"Only fantasies? You honestly expect me to believe you guys never got up to anything in here?" she teased lightly, her breath coming hard as well.
"You're joking. You cannot even begin to imagine how hard and fast the repercussions would have come down if we'd been found to be despoiling any of those girls." Kyoya answered.
Laney stiffened just the slightest bit. "Despoiling? Really? That's a fascinating word choice, Kyoya."
"I suppose the administration at your high school encouraged illicit underage liaisons on campus?"
"Not the point. The point was despoiling."
"And the point is taken. Mea culpa, love; It was a poor word choice."
"Were you upset to find that I had been despoiled?" Laney's voice held just the faintest trace of real anger, and Kyoya knew he had to answer carefully.
"Quite the contrary." He touched one finger to her slightly swollen lips. "I'm enormously grateful for your knowledge base and skill set, and have been since the first time we went to bed together."
His wife chuckled throatily, and Kyoya tamped down another sudden spike of desire. They couldn't hide in here much longer before someone came looking. He allowed one hand to wander idly up Laney's neck, toying with the idea of taking her hair down so he could run his fingers through it. She sensed his intentions and sidled away. "Don't you dare. I had to sit for over an hour today getting my hair done. You're not going to ruin it before this damn thing even begins."
Kyoya picked up on an odd note in her voice. "Nervous, baby?" he asked, somewhat surprised. Even before they'd met, Laney had never been a stranger to parties and benefits.
She looked away from him. "That whole room is full of people who think you made a mistake in marrying your little American hafu, isn't it?" It was more a statement than a question.
"Probably fewer than a third of them are of that opinion. But they're all jackasses, so I wouldn't waste any time worrying about them. I don't make mistakes." Laney cocked her head, and he amended, "Well, I don't make them often, at least."
"Mmmm."
"Love, you cannot possibly imagine that I think our marriage was in any way, shape, or form a mistake. So what's really bothering you?"
She reached up to fiddle with the small wren pendant at the hollow of her throat. "I'm not used to being found wanting," she admitted. "It's an odd sensation, and not a particularly pleasant one."
Kyoya took her face in his hands, forcing her to meet his eyes. "Fuck them all," he said firmly. "It doesn't matter what they think of you. Anyone with half a brain realizes how exceptional you are, and anyone who doesn't couldn't possibly matter."
"Even clients?"
"Fuck 'em," he repeated. "I told you four years ago: you come first."
"Or, on occasion, simultaneously."
"Filthy girl," Kyoya grinned. "Now let me see your war face."
"Sir, yes sir," Laney said saucily before giving him a doe-eyed, simpering smile.
"Perfect. They'll never know what hit them."
"Remind me again of who I need to charm and who I should ignore."
"Charm Wakahisa, the Nakamuras, Tsukino, and Miyamoto. Drop a few hints to Miyamoto and Wakahisa about the new therapy you're developing in the lab—nothing specific, just enough to whet the appetite. Nakamura's wife is big into conservation efforts for the Amami thrush, so open with that. Ignore the Kuzes."
"Kyoya!" she scolded. "I will not."
"He's a dickhead."
"Just because he had an inferiority complex when you two were in school does not make him a dickhead. Takeshi and Kanan have always been lovely to me."
Kyoya just rolled his eyes and moved on. "Watch out for Matsuda Chiyo."
"I don't think I've ever heard you mention her before. Is she someone important?"
"Not terribly. Matsuda Goro is a vice president in his family's electrical design firm, but they're not involved into the medical industry in any way. I think Huni's done some work with them in the past, but nothing of any real significance. Kaoru says the wife, Chiyo, is something of a social-climbing bitch—his words, not mine. Just watch your back, hmmm?"
"What, is she going to start a rumble on the dance floor?" Laney asked. "Should I be packing?"
"Yes, I highly recommend grabbing a steak knife and slipping it into your stocking," Kyoya replied. "Best to be well prepared."
"You're not going to leap to my defense? And here I thought you were my shining prince."
"You're mistaken. Tamaki's the prince. I'm the cool one."
Laney grinned. "Yeah, you're a regular Arthur Fonzarelli." When Kyoya raised an eyebrow quizzically, she put both thumbs up. "Heeeeeyyyy!"
"I am nothing like the Fonz." Kyoya pretended at outrage.
"That's for damn sure," Laney said, cuddling up close to him and kissing his neck. "Much sexier." He put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. "So why does Kaoru know this Matsuka woman?"
"Matsuda, and I gather she's an old friend of Hisakawa's. I further gather that Hisakawa has had cause lately to reevaluate her friendship with her former classmate." Almost as an afterthought, he added, "She's an old Host Club client of mine. It's possible she may have had a thing for me."
"Lord have mercy. A jealous spurned lover?"
"I poured her tea and made almost certainly inane small talk. I may, on the rare special occasion, have recommended one particular flavor of cake over another. She hardly has any reason to consider herself either jealous, spurned, or my lover." Kyoya said, disdain apparent in his voice.
"Baby, don't forget, I have been on the receiving end of your small talk. Charming as all hell, love."
"But you like my dirty talk better."
"I like all your talk. Your voice is absolutely one of your more devastatingly attractive features, and don't you pretend you don't know it."
"Makes your panties wet?"
Laney smacked him lightly on the shoulder. "Speaking of which, I need them back, please."
"Nope." Kyoya reached into his pocket, fingering the silky material.
"Kyoya!"
"Not a chance. It's my good luck charm. Keeps me calm when I feel like slugging someone."
"You are so thoroughly depraved," Laney said, her slow smile full of promise.
"That's why you married me."
"One of the reasons, anyhow."
"Come on, we'd better get out there and show our faces before someone comes looking for us." He stood up, extending a hand to pull his wife to her feet. He cast a critical eye over her, then reached down for her purse and pulled out her lipstick. "Open," he commanded, applying the makeup carefully to her obediently parted lips.
"You know it's kind of creepy that you're so good at that," Laney remarked after blotting her lips with a tissue from her bag.
"After four years of cosplay with Tamaki and the idiot crew?" He held back the curtain and waited for her to pass into the larger room first before following.
"You're a man of many hidden talents, baby."
"You should see me in a kilt," he grinned.
"Ugh," Laney groaned. "If you don't want me to drag you back into that room and not leave it for the next three hours, you will kindly stop now with the Jamie Fraser fantasy fodder."
For just a moment, Kyoya gave the idea serious consideration.
Author's Note: Thanks so much to No-Time Lord, MS. QUEEN21, and mutemuia for the reviews, and to capt. twizzler and SilverKitsuneGrlAngel for the favorites. So I know I said updates will be spotty, and they WILL be, for the next few weeks at least, but I've had these two chapters mostly written so I figured I might as well throw them up. The story will get back to Kaoru and Megumi with the next chapter, but I did want to give everyone a little peek into how Kyoya and Laney are getting on. Jamie Fraser, man. If pop culture has produced two perfect men, they are Jamie Fraser and Lloyd Dobler. Kol hakavod, Diana Gabaldon.