Chapter 35
While the morning had been a bit of a frenzy, the afternoon grew much tamer after their rollercoaster of an experience. Becoming legally intertwined only took a couple hours, between waiting in lines, shuffling from a city hall to a courthouse, and then signing more documents. They even skipped through vows and ring exchanges in favour of hurrying the process up. The Ootori requested more personnel from their private police force after the morning's incident. They discreetly trailed behind them at their every move.
They hardly had time to breathe when the Ootori was inundated with reports that he was dead, given that his vehicle had been involved. Kiyoko's phone had been found in the remnants of it all, but the Ootori's fake death had certainly overshadowed the possibility of Kiyoko being involved. Kyouya ended up silencing his phone after informing his family and friends that he was indeed, very much alive. The rest of it would be directed to the corporation's PR team. The world was sufficiently distracted by this sudden murder plot which would get snuffed within a day thanks to PR.
"Now what?" Kiyoko chuckled to herself. She kept the paperwork in her tote bag, the most precious thing they both had between themselves.
"We'll get you a new phone," Kyouya decided. He could not live without being tethered to his now wife in some way and she could not survive without a phone doing her daily tasks. "And some new shoes." The edges of her heels were stained pink from the blood. The pointed shoe was adorned with a strap of pearls and dotted with Swarovski crystals in-between.
"But," Kiyoko pouted. "I just bought them today. They're so cute! Look at the pearls." It was far from her usual style but she indulged in herself today, not realizing the events that were about to unfold.
"They're bloodied now," the husband pointed out. "Can't we get you some trainers?"
"With this dress?" Kiyoko frowned. "Please, darling. I'd be committing a fashion crime."
Kyouya finally got to look at his wife. His gaze softened as he tugged playfully on the satin bow behind her, he smiled at the unkempt hair with the loose strands that framed her face. She gazed back at him with adoration. "You're gorgeous. I love this dress on you. I didn't think I'd love you so much in white."
She laughed. "I was afraid it wasn't elegant enough."
"You could make a paper bag elegant," Kyouya countered before kissing her temple.
He could make her forget that the world was crumbling and she happily let him.
Kyouya always assumed that shopping was a chore, especially with their wife. All the men made it seem like it was terrible being dragged from one store to the next in the giant department complex, waiting on their partner to choose and to try things on. But somehow, this domestic activity had grown on the Ootori. Kiyoko made it so easy.
She picked out a phone in no time, the colour white which would contrast with his black. A wedding day phone, she chuckled to herself and asked for the model that she had previously. The Ootori immediately refused and corrected her request to the newest model only, and if they didn't have it - they would just go to another location.
"That seems so unnecessary," Kiyoko placed an arm on her husband. "I was doing just fine with my old phone."
"It is absolutely necessary," Kyouya insisted. "A phone is essential to your daily life."
"Yes, but the newest–"
"Stop acting like you're poor. You're not. You can afford it and you deserve nice things," the Ootori rolled his eyes.
Kiyoko squinted at her new husband. "Spoiling me is dangerous, dear. I'll only ask for more."
"Ask and you shall receive," Kyouya challenged.
She shook her head at the man. "Alright. Just one phone," Kiyoko conceded. What was a couple hundred thousand yen to the Ootori, anyway?
One phone evolved into a new pair of trainers, as Kyouya promised. He insisted that this was necessary if she did not want him to carry her everywhere. Kiyoko already stuck out like a sore thumb with her white dress, clearly coming from their wedding-slash-elopement. Her bloodied shoes certainly did not help the look as a runaway bride. The blisters did not allow her to spend much time barefooted. The only relief she got was from sitting and walking extremely slowly while leaning on the Ootori.
"I think a good pair of Asics will do," Kiyoko pointed to the section of athletic running shoes, used by actual marathon runners. It was a popular Japanese brand that had a worldwide following but the Ootori only shook his head at the option.
"If that is what you mean by fashion crime, I finally understand," Kyouya agreed. "We can get nicer shoes for you."
"Nicer doesn't mean more expensive," Kiyoko explained. "If we're looking for comfort–"
He dragged her away before she could finish the sentence. The Ootori pressed the elevator button towards the designer boutiques and landed on the floor with the same brand of shoes she currently wore. Surrounded by more heels and bedazzled shoes, Kiyoko winced at the thought of having to try those on with her blistered aching feet. She did not have the energy to argue when the Ootori took charge.
Kyouya flagged down the salesperson and showed her photos on his phone while he made Kiyoko sit. A couple boxes were immediately brought to her and the softest cotton socks. Somehow, he managed to source a bottle of antiseptic solution and some cotton balls too. Kyouya pulled her legs up over his lap so he could clean up the injured feet with the most delicate touch.
When he finished, he pulled the bandages he kept on hand in his wallet.
"Oh my god," Kiyoko bursted out in laughter. "The bandaids!" she giggled at the memory of her teasing him to no end about it.
"Yes," Kyouya rolled his eyes. "For your own good, I'm glad I keep them."
"Gosh, I really thought your ego would take the hit and you'd leave me." It was one of her many attempts to sabotage his interest in her.
"It certainly did," Kyouya admitted. "But I could never leave you," he softly bandaged up each offending blister wound. "I was already deeply in love with you," he whispered.
"Hm," Kiyoko shrugged. "Couldn't say the same," she teased. "After all, I had so many suitors after me," her voice dripped with sarcasm.
Kyouya smirked, placing socks on her feet. "Yes, but you only married one."
"That I did," she answered fondly, smiling at him. "I married you: the very best." He beamed back proudly, pushing up his glasses to focus on what they were really here for.
The Ootori slipped off the bench to help Kiyoko try on different pairs of sneakers. He claimed that they needed to stay on brand for the day, being a bride and all. He treated her with the utmost gentle touch, careful not to place any pressure on any pain points of her feet.
Kiyoko immediately vetoed the diamond encrusted one and went for the simplest white shoe. It was nice that it gave her a little boost in height as well. Kyouya went as far as to ask the salespeople if they could add pearl details, since his wife had pearls on her (now red stained) heels. Kiyoko's heart swelled at how thoughtful this man could be but politely refused, knowing that customization would take weeks. They needed a shoe now and a plain white one was good enough. The Ootori gave way to the practical needs of their day.
Kiyoko dragged Kyouya down to the first floor of the department store, claiming that they needed to eat something and that their bread selection was actually quite delightful. Kiyoko selected a few savoury options for the Ootori and a slice of Mont Blanc cake because needed a wedding cake, even if it was just one sliver of it.
"You should have told me you were hungry," Kiyoko frowned at the way he scarfed down their appetizers..
"I didn't realize I was hungry," Kyouya reassured. "It's been… a busy day."
Kiyoko nodded. "Busy indeed," she agreed.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he delicately pressed.
Kiyoko had filled him in on what happened before their meeting in pieces as they were chauffeured or waiting in line for documents in hushed whispers. Compartmentalizing was second nature to the woman after she had some water and a couple minutes to get her heart rate back to normal. In the same vein, the Ootori also needed time to gather his wits. She showed up like a stroke of luck right when he genuinely thought he had lost her. Together, they found solace in the chaos that brewed around them.
With Asami's sudden appearance and the cryptic events that followed, it did not take a genius to understand that the attack was targeted and that Asami had gotten around it just in time. Redemption, as promised.
"Not really," Kiyoko did not want to deal with the complicated emotions that stirred around her mother and the rest of her family. "Not today, at least. I want today to be about us."
Kyouya squeezed her hand, respecting her decision. He hardly even thought about work the entire day, even though he cleared out his entire afternoon already. The bento boxes came around as they both ate their first full meal of the day. By the end of it, the slice of cake had to be force fed by Kiyoko.
"Please," she pouted. "It's our wedding day. Have a bite of cake," she pushed the fork towards him with a rather large bite. It was essentially half the small slice.
The Ootori put a hand up and refused. "Kiyoko, I am far too full."
"You shouldn't have eaten all three of those pastries," Kiyoko lectured. She took the bite herself and moaned quietly. "Mmm, so good. I wish I could get the crumb to be as delicate."
Kyouya could not help but to smirk at the way she bit into the cake, her eyes closed while she tilted her head back. He crossed his arms and amused himself at the sight of his now wife looking so innocuous as she made noises like that. The Ootori prided himself in knowing he could make her sound like that too, definitely without the cake.
"Wipe that smirk off your face," Kiyoko threatened when she opened her eyes. "I know that look," she squinted at him. "You're thinking about fucking me."
The Ootori appeared scandalized. "I am not," he denied. They were in public, for fuck's sake. How did she have no shame in saying such things out loud?
"Whatever," she dismissed. Kiyoko cut a smaller bite sized piece of cake for him. "Eat this so you can experience the same thing I did."
The Ootori opened his mouth and obliged. The cream melted right in his mouth as the cake crumble dissolved along with it. Of course, the cake was not too sweet with just the right amount of nuttiness from the chestnuts to complement. Simple and delicious. So much so, he could almost see himself eating a whole slice of it.
She eyed him expectantly, watching his every move as he chewed and swallowed. He gave a nod of approval, the most she could get out of him. Kiyoko huffed and finished off the cake herself and hummed to herself. How else could they spend their day in this little bubble?
Kiyoko took note of the stares she was receiving from strangers as she was clearly decked out from head to toe as a bride. The Ootori seemed not to care about the attention since he only had eyes for her.
"I need a jacket," she decided.
"Are you cold?" Kyouya immediately began shifting out of his suit jacket to drape over her. He may have been insufferable at times, but he truly doted on her in every way he could. She laid a hand over his arm and shook her head.
"A longer jacket to cover this spectacle," Kiyoko explained, pointing to herself.
"I quite like seeing this spectacle," he countered with a smirk. "White looks good on you."
Kiyoko patted his knee to get him going, strolling through the high end department floors and surrounded by all sorts of designer brands. Kyouya picked out a tweed jacket, cropped right at her waist to let the white skirt of her dress stay exposed but kept her shoulders and arms warm. It was made of the softest cashmere and wool, plucked straight from the rack of Loro Piana. The wife shook her head and pointed to the bow behind her.
"Awful choice, darling," she frowned. The tweed hardly went with the satin she wore. "I'm trying to look inconspicuous." The tweed and satin certainly did not come together. She made her way towards another section of the store quicker than Kyouya could keep up with. Kiyoko with comfortable footwear was unstoppable. Running her hands through the synthetic fabric, she took it off the rack and showed it to her husband.
"It's water-resistant," she read the tag, sold by the functionality of the navy jacket.
"It'll drown you," Kyouya pointed out. It had no shape, looking like an oversized poncho on her petite frame.
"Oversized is a trend," Kiyoko mumbled. "Do the Twins not school you in fashion?"
"A trend is a trend," the male Ootori argued. "You're much more suited to the classics." She had a small wardrobe but each and every piece was chosen with intention. Few items were often turned over to consignment stores every season as a means of keeping up with society to make room for the newer season. The Japanese were after all, one of the largest consumers of luxury goods.
Kyouya plucked a long wool coat, the fabric light enough for transitional seasons and structured enough to be worn over anything. She could treat it as an extra long blazer that stopped right below her knees. He pulled it over her small frame, letting it drape on her shoulders and admired how lovely she looked.
"Hm," Kiyoko inspected the stitching. "It's nice," she agreed. "Fits perfectly over my dress. Does the bow make me look like I have a strange lump?"
She turned to try to see behind her in the mirror. His heart swelled. How was it possible to feel this way about a person? She looked adorable. The Ootori quietly chuckled and pulled her closer to plant a kiss against her temple. "You look wonderful."
"Do they have other colour options?" Kiyoko asked. "Maybe something lighter. The black seems too contrasting, you think?"
"I think you look perfect in anything," Kyouya shrugged. But regardless, he flagged down a salesperson immediately and asked for them to find exactly what his wife asked for. He quite enjoyed using that term.
"Husband," she mocked. Kiyoko delicately placed the jacket back on the rack of Brunello Cucinelli. It was only a little over 800 thousand yen. "I never even got to call you my fiance," she murmured.
"It was a short engagement," Kyouya waved off. "I couldn't wait." To marry you, to start my life with you, to have you forever. He hoped she was able to hear the things he was too shy to say aloud.
She raised an eyebrow at him before shaking her head with a small smile. "And apparently, neither could I," she murmured. They stood closely with each other, silently enjoying the company in the most mundane moments. When the salesperson returned, the Ootori swiftly handed over his card.
"Such a gratuitous husband," she teased as he helped slide the jacket over her shoulders. "I got a husband, a new phone, new shoes, and a lovely jacket in one day?" Kiyoko batted her eyes up at him, turning on her charm to the maximum.
The male Ootori signed off the receipt with a quiet chuckle. "I didn't know you were so easily bought, darling." Kiyoko could have easily afforded all of this without question.
She rolled her eyes.
"Are you up for a walk down memory lane?" she asked with an idea that popped right in her head.
Kyouya recognized the alleyway immediately and even chuckled after realizing where she was leading him. The hidden staircase to the speakeasy had recently gotten a tech upgrade to which Kiyoko rolled her eyes at, saying something about how it ruined the atmosphere of chancing upon something old school and discreet. Now, their faces were scanned by a surveillance camera and the air of exclusivity had been upped.
"Well, if it isn't my favourite customer," said the bartender that spoke through the buzzer.
"You mean investor?" Kiyoko corrected.
The door opened immediately to an empty room with the dimmed lights and the smell of smoked wood and sage. The early evening was not exactly the time when most people would begin their bar crawl but of course, the Ootoris were not most people. The bartender greeted them with a grin and two glasses of whiskey, served over ice and invited them to sit across from where the magic always happened.
Kiyoko climbed up to the stool, sitting right against the bow that cushioned her lower back. She left her jacket open, in a chic-aloof sort of fashion. No one was around to judge anyway. She casually took out the bobby pins that held her hair up in place for the majority of the day and relaxed with her legs crossed. She fixed her hair in a half-up French twist to give her scalp a bit of a break.
"Con…gratulations?" the bartender tilted his head at the couple, noting Kiyoko's white dress that was exposed beneath her new overcoat.
"Yes," Kiyoko confirmed coolly. "Congratulations to us," she picked up her glass swiftly and raised it in cheers to the bartender, and her now husband. Kyouya raised his own glass to his wife who in a haze of smoke, somehow managed to make the act of drinking look so sexy as her lips met the glass and her deep gaze settled on him, and only him.
He felt so naked when he was fully seen by her.
"So," the third wheel drawled. "How did y'all meet?"
"Here," Kiyoko answered simply. "But you already know that, don't you?"
"I love seeing matches made in heaven before my own eyes," the bartender smiled. "What's up with the dudes by the door?" He caught two figures lurking around the outside of the staircase on the surveillance camera. They entered alongside the pair but kept their presence to only the entrance. Even with the shopping bags they held, they somehow managed to carry the aura of a sleeper agent.
"Security detail," Kyouya explained. "I can request for them to leave."
Kiyoko recognized the look on the bartender's face, unsure if it was polite to ask why they would even have security around them.
"I told you I worked for the yakuza, right?" Kiyoko shrugged.
He paused drying one of his highball glasses and looked towards the male Ootori for confirmation. It was of no help since the man was clearly infatuated with his wife and didn't even bat an eye towards the server.
"Had to up the ante after a kidnapping attempt," Kiyoko held up her other wrist that was not holding onto the chilled glass. The bruising was still apparent, even under the dim lighting. "I hold many valuable secrets that people would kill for. But you know, just regular workplace hazards. No big deal," she brushed off. "Do you have any cigars on hand?" Kiyoko changed the subject.
The bartender turned to the husband. "She does this a lot."
"Does what?"
"Make stories up."
Kyouya raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "There was in fact, an assassination attempt," he confirmed.
The man looked horrified. "What?"
"But she does not work for the yakuza," the Ootori chuckled, getting a kick out of how animated the bartender was. Kiyoko smiled at her husband, liking the fact that he slowly began to share the same sense of humour as she did.
The server shook his head and informed them that he would be right back, having had enough of this shared madness between the couple.
Kiyoko's hand reached over to his to tug on it, trying to believe that this was real. He was real. It was a perfect day even if it had been slightly derailed. But when it was just him and her together, it felt like they could conquer the world.
Kyouya's thumb grazed over each knuckle and he glanced down to realize that he had forgotten the most important part. He patted the breast pocket of his jacket.
"Oh no," the Ootori mumbled. "I completely forgot."
"Forgot what?" Kiyoko tilted her head.
"The rings."
The two were so swept up in getting the act done that they unceremoniously pushed aside the entire tradition of vows and all. Kiyoko hardly cared for such an exchange when all they really needed was their marriage act to be legitimate.
"Oh," Kiyoko patted the knee of her husband. "No worries on that. We can get rings later, dear." They had done the most important deed: sign papers. Everything else was not a priority. They were both legally entitled to half of each other's assets.
"No, no," Kyouya fumbled with the box in his pocket. "I have them," he stuttered. "I should have done this much earlier," he shook his head in disappointment at himself. How could he have forgotten when this woman had taken such lengths for the day? He opened the velvet box nervously and presented her with the ring he worked so hard to choose for her.
Kiyoko's jaw dropped at the sight of the marquise diamond flanked by delicate stones on each side. She let out a gasp that escaped her mouth before she could even compose herself. Even under the dim lighting, the stone managed to catch the light, reflecting speckles of radiance that diminished her to a magpie.
"Do… you like it?" he asked sheepishly, unable to tell if the way her jaw dropped was in approval or in disgust.
"Oh my goodness, it's perfect," she gushed quietly. "I thought you were just going to go with a large carat oval," Kiyoko laughed to herself.
"Well," Kyouya blinked. "That came close," he admitted, now relieved that Fuyumi talked him out of it. A sudden surge of pride rushed through him. He did this right and he sure as hell was going to feel smug about it.
"I would have worn it anyway," she reassured. Kiyoko presented her hand to him so he could slip on the ring. It was a perfect fit thanks to Fuyumi's judgement of Kiyoko's hands and fingers. Kiyoko could not stop staring at the way it sparkled under the dim lighting. She felt like such a little girl, fascinated by pretty things. She ran the finger over the delicate platinum band, looking at the basket and prongs that were securely attached to the focal point.
"And," Kyouya presented another box. "The wedding bands."
Kiyoko blinked. "Is that blue?" She stared at the pear cut diamonds and round cut sapphires that created the illusion of leaves. It was made to be nestled right beneath the marquise. She slipped off the engagement ring and gently picked up the delicately crafted metal to place on her own finger. Even without the large stone, the ring was expertly crafted with so much thought. With the engagement ring to complete the look, Kiyoko's finger felt weighed by what seemed like the cleanest 2 carat diamond she had ever seen up close.
"Kyouya," she breathed as she looked at her own hand. "I didn't even know I wanted this," Kiyoko shook her head at how she was just a magpie after all. "Is this why women want to be engaged?"
"We're married," Kyouya interjected, relishing in the fact that he had finally earned the ability to impress the woman. It only took a couple shiny stones to do so. How stupid of him to not think of this earlier?
"Married, yes," she corrected herself and then stared in disbelief. Her slim fingers plucked his wedding band out of the box. A plain domed Titanium band slipped onto his finger without any resistance. Such small symbols that made all the difference, a feeling of ease and security that blanketed the two of them. A belated ring ceremony in a dimly lit bar of where they first met under the happy haze of whiskey.
"Cigars, as requested," the bartender came back with a box of two that was beautifully presented over a bed of what looked like clouds. Kiyoko thanked the bartender curtly before helping herself to one while the male Ootori observed closely.
Kiyoko was the epitome of cool. She cut off the end of the cigar with ease, utilizing the small knife provided in the box and made an opening for inhalation. Kiyoko bit down her lip as she inspected her handiwork against the candlelight. She reached for the lighter, observing the flame for a bit before deeming it as worthy for the activity. Kiyoko lit the cigar with practiced hands, as if she hung regularly with the elder business elite of their parents' generation. Her pearl white nails were so dainty against the thick roll that sat between them, now adorned with diamonds that screamed wealth. She leaned back with her pink supple lips enclosed over the edge of the joint, teasing him with what she could really do with her mouth instead.
Kiyoko felt lonely that she was the only one celebrating, so she rested the cigar between her fingers again after a small drawl. "Have you never smoked a cigar before?" she asked as smoke billowed out of her mouth.
"No," Kyouya admitted, fully drawn to how aloof she was. He should have been embarrassed by now if he was not so enraptured by her.
"What? Isn't this like, a rite of passage for businessmen?" She had her fair share of them, mostly with the boys of her glory gambling days. It had always been a certain ritual to share a cigar with their old man or whatever.
"For the baby boomers, Kiyoko," the Ootori rolled his eyes. "And besides, our families are in healthcare. It really isn't… good for the brand."
The wife laughed at the thought of a brand for the Ootori. Straight laced, prim and proper, not to mention boring. But alas, she fell in love with a man who had no vices and who was she to complain? She could be the one to carry the vices for the both of them.
"Well," Kiyoko picked up the cigar again. "Happy to be your first if you'd like to try," her voice sultry as she winked.
Kyouya stared at her, frozen in awe. Like a boy who had never seen a woman before, or to have had the attention of someone like her. Someone who was always the most interesting person in the room, the actual definition of popular. Was this what it felt like for the girls that attended the Host Club? To have had a fraction of what it was like to receive the attention of someone as fascinating and alluring. God, he felt so lucky.
"You've got the weird heart eyes thing going on," she pointed out. Her free hand went for the glass of chilled whiskey as she leaned back to observe the Ootori's expression. His stare only changed to a small smile as he shrugged off the way she called him out. Kiyoko wondered where the embarrassment had gone.
"I'm admiring my wife," he simply said, holding his glass up towards her. "You're stunning in every way imaginable."
She giggled and laid her head back in relaxation, letting smoke billow out of her mouth. "Even if I have the habits of our elderly parents? I do love a good cigar," Kiyoko sighed, taking in the high of the nicotine that turned her chaotic brain into a soothing buzz. This was an occasion worth celebrating and helping herself was only right.
"I love you even more for it," he insisted. "You could sell any vice and make it alluring."
"Hm, I'm afraid that would make me too powerful, darling. I'd much rather just be your little wife." Another small sip of the warmth of alcohol slid down her throat. She placed down the glass to pace herself. Kiyoko felt too good in the buzz that formed in her head that it almost seemed wrong.
"Little wife," Kyouya chuckled. "You command a room, Kiyoko. You are not little."
"Under you, I am," she smirked.
His breath caught in his throat. God, how silly was he to still fall for her like this? She gently drew her index finger along his thighs, as if knowing that every single moment drew flames under her touch. His nostrils flared at her as he caught her wrist and then immediately let go, forgetting the fact that she was bruised.
"Are you alright?" he asked as the flicker of annoyance was immediately dispersed.
"Yes," she nodded. "These were mostly self-inflicted as I tried to finagle my out of zip ties this morning. I did not take no for an answer and paid for it," she laughed to herself. Kiyoko hated how weirdly happy she sounded. Was this even real life?
"Hello again to the happy couple," the bartender slid back again. "Would you like some pictures to commemorate this occasion?"
"Actually, yes," Kiyoko tossed him her phone. "We never had wedding photos taken."
The owner stared at his old friend in shock. "And you chose this as the right venue? The lighting is fucking awful here."
Kiyoko shrugged. She never cared for tradition. Kiyoko took off her jacket, letting it drape along the bar. She popped off the seat of her stool and slid into her husband's lap easily, looking straight into the camera with a smug smile. Her body language screamed mine and Kyouya only responded with a grin, looking at his wife and nowhere near the camera. It was a shot that would make people jealous of what they had.
He was smitten by her. She posed again with her left hand cradling the glass of whiskey, smiling behind the glass as her other arm wrapped around his neck. Her ring finger was very much in view and clearly made to show off.
Kiyoko made the Ootori glow in the dark. She led him over to the booth where they could sit more comfortably instead of trying to balance by the bar. His large hands sprawled over her back, her waist, and her legs. He only had eyes for her.
"You have to look at the camera," she muttered as he pressed a kiss on the column of her neck. "And maybe not look like you're about to devour me while a stranger is taking photos of us with a grainy lens."
He inhaled her perfume, now mixed in with deep smokey undertone. "I only want to look at you," Kyouya whispered. "Maybe smother you, too."
He could listen to her giggle for hours. She gently turned his head towards the bartender-photographer and encouraged him to smile.
"You two are gross," the bartender tutted. He threw the phone back at Kiyoko who caught it swiftly in one hand and reviewed the photos. They turned out exactly as expected - some were grainy, some were caught in mid movement in a blur, and quite a few really captured the two in clarity. Perks of a top of the line phone seemed to pay off today.
"I think they're artsy," Kiyoko smiled. "Someday, we can look back and pretend these weren't taken while we were drunk and all of it was absolutely intentional."
"This is intentional," the husband corrected. He was referring to marriage. Kiyoko was referring to the blurry photos on her new phone. The wife huffed and smiled to herself at his sincerity. What a lovely man she managed to somehow charm into becoming a partner.
"I love you," she whispered to him, eyes locked into his own as if to scream believe me, I would move the world for you.
"I'm aware," he reassured her with a smirk, lifting his glass of whiskey to her in another cheers.
Kiyoko looked back down to her phone and sent the photos of themselves to Kyouya, citing that his friends would be delighted to hear the happy news of their elopement. The Ootori rolled his eyes and said that his friends had no business in their affairs. As she set her phone down, the device buzzed incessantly for an incoming call. She denied it with a flick of a wrist as she scrolled through the carousel of photos.
"This is nice," she commented. It was a silhouette of the two of them, head against each other, bodies attached at the hip underneath the haze of smokey darkness.
"It's a little blurry," Kyouya noted. Should they have hired a professional photographer? He would have certainly done so if he had enough time for planning.
Kiyoko ignored his lame observation and set her background on her phone for the first time. A black and white photo of just them, like strangers peering into a secret. It was the worst kept secret in the world, in their bubble of newlywed bliss.
Another call came through to her phone and this time the Ootori was quick to catch her swiping away the notification without blinking an eye or even acknowledging it.
"Should you take that?"
"It's probably spam."
The said spam caller had called again, to which Kiyoko rolled her eyes and continued to ignore.
"Few people have your number. Whoever is trying to reach you might be important."
"And who would be more important than my husband?" she cocked an eyebrow, dismissing the subject.
The male Ootori narrowed his eyes, suspicious of what the woman was trying to avoid. "Who is it, Kiyoko?"
She sighed, reaching for her glass of whiskey to dull the impending headache. "Please, can't we just have one good day?"
Kyouya rested a hand on her thigh, his grasp firm and steady in a form of comfort. "Whatever it is, you aren't alone."
"I know," she took a long burning gulp, nearly emptying the glass. "Is it so much to ask for an interrupted moment of peace after a long day?" Kiyoko sighed.
Kyouya nodded solemnly, pushing a strand of loose hair behind her ear before gesturing for some water. He kissed her forehead and let her rest her head in the crook of his neck, letting the haze of smoke swirl around them both. When water was promptly delivered, Kyouya handed her the glass, replacing the whiskey. He took care of her without a word and she appreciated the silence. The bartender disappeared behind a hidden door, leaving the whole area to the couple.
"Honeymoon destinations," she said, changing the subject promptly. "Where do normal people go?"
Kyouya laughed. "Are we not normal people, Kiyoko?"
"Today is not a normal day," she admitted. "But I'm trying to make it so. Even though elopement is not a common approach. I suppose I have never really fit into the normal, have I?"
"I would not have had it any other way," he reassured. "Tamaki and Haruhi went to Italy," Kyouya circled back to the most normal people he knew.
"And they got married in France - of course, that makes sense." Geographically, it was simple to hop over anywhere in Europe.
"Should we go?" Kyouya could have bought tickets on his phone in the next minute so long as she said yes.
"No," Kiyoko brushed off. "Pasta is overrated and the heat is unbearable if we go to the south."
"We could stay up towards the north where the Alps are?" he suggested.
Kiyoko was unimpressed by the thought. "Seems unlikely you would be able to take time off from work anyway." Her brain was thinking too hard into the logistics, reality reeling her back in from the faint thought of a fantasy she thought she could spiral into. The buzz was weaning and evolving into anxiety that was brimming in her chest as a hummingbird threatening to break out of its cage.
"Did you want to go?" Kyouya placed his hand over her cold ones. She intertwined her fingers naturally with his own, hoping to take in every single surface area to warm up her own palm and welcomed his soothing touch. Kiyoko had to remind herself to take a deep breath.
"No, it's alright," she shook her head.
"We could go. I could make it work," he promised. Kyouya caught the flicker of a longing look in her eyes. He could make her happy, as long as she told him what she wanted. If only it were so simple with her.
"We have more pressing issues at hand," Kiyoko pursed her lips. His succession. Her inheritance. Her potentially dead mother. A whole power vacuum threatening to unravel. "Maybe someday, yeah?"
"Someday," he agreed. "Where then, would you have wanted to go?"
Kiyoko shrugged. "I haven't travelled much."
"You're zooming across Europe and Asia all the time," Kyouya scoffed.
"For business, not for leisure. I haven't stayed in cities long enough to see them in their entirety. New Zealand looks nice," she quietly added. "Seems far and quaint enough."
"Is that part of the criteria? Far and quaint? How about the Arctic Circle, then?" he joked.
Kiyoko tilted her head at him, deep in thought. "I have always wanted to see the Northern Lights. Haru once painted them after watching a nature documentary. We said we would go someday."
She suddenly found herself talking out loud with her thoughts of Haru that were always kept to herself. It was odd speaking about his existence again. That painting was now in the cottage of a British millionaire, hopefully displayed in full and well-kept.
Tears brimmed her eyes before she knew it and a tsunami of emotions had welled up in her chest. Kiyoko felt a ton of bricks weigh her lungs down as she struggled to breathe. She often chalked these moments up to stress, but lately it became more and more inexplicable.
"Kiyoko," his voice hardly registered in her ears.
She tried to blink away the tears, forcing them to go back into the wells of her eyes. Kyouya's soft thumbs swiped the escaped droplets away, saying nothing but a nod of understanding.
"You miss him."
Kiyoko nodded, too afraid to croak the word yes. Kiyoko felt pathetic. She had never felt so empty and so fulfilled. So resentful of her family and so grateful for a man who chose her time and time again. She was terrified of what was to come after today. Her mood swung back and forth like a pendulum, overwhelming her in ways that her body could not keep up with.
"I'm sorry," Kiyoko whispered. "I don't know what has come over me."
"It's alright," Kyouya pulled her back into his arms, rubbing her back in a slow rhythmic pat. "You don't have to explain."
"I…" She breathed deeply, gathering her wits as she inhaled the bergamot notes of his cologne. "I wish I had the words for my feelings. But they all are just too… much. It's like they overflow unexpectedly without warning. I'm afraid that you'll find me overwhelming." And then you'll leave me, like I always knew you would. Kiyoko stopped herself from talking too much.
"I love being overwhelmed by you," he reassured.
"You'll grow tired of it," Kiyoko warned. No one else could keep up with the Hibayashi clan except themselves. High emotions. Unregulated and chaotic. This was their norm. Kiyoko was doing her best to shield the man away from it all.
"Never," Kyouya murmured. "I love you. All of you. Whatever happens, we'll work together to conquer it. Don't shut me out, Kiyoko. I'm begging you," he pulled away to look at her and gently cupped his hands around her face, forcing her to understand that he meant it.
She was teary eyed. Her breaths shallow.
"You're not alone anymore," he reminded. She could only respond with closing her eyes and one nod, her heart had travelled all the way to her throat. He wiped her tears away and kissed her tenderly on her forehead, holding her by the waist and patted her bare back. Her arms snaked around his neck and she planted her face in his chest, breathing in and breathing out.
"Alright," Kiyoko finally whispered, feeling grounded again. "Thank you." When she pulled away, her voice croaked as she asked if her mascara smudged. Did she look like a sane person? Probably not, but when was she ever?
"It doesn't matter," Kyouya shook his head at her. He could hardly tell in this lighting anyway.
Kiyoko patted her eyes dry, delicately to avoid the smudging motion. She grabbed the glass of water and chugged it down. She had to rehydrate after losing so much of it through her eyes. When she finished, her eyes darted towards the diluted whiskey on ice. The buzz was wearing off from a sobering emotional moment and she wanted it back. The feeling of weightlessness, the way everything around her slowed down with every turn of her head, and how it made it harder for her to think straight - just for a moment. The ever elusive moments of happiness were slipping away, right when she managed to grasp it.
Kyouya shook his head at her and took the glass away from her and gulped it down instead. "That's enough for you." She was too small to be handling these generous pours of liquor, even if it came from her bartender friend slash business associate.
She pouted. "Fine," her eyes darkened. "I'll just have it another way."
Kiyoko lunged over to him, lips parted over his own as she tried to get that sweet barley off his tongue. He caught her by the waist, steadying her as she kissed him with fervor. He could hardly keep up with the way her tongue danced over his lips, her bare skin searing beneath his touch. His brain was empty, his blood rushing elsewhere. She was climbing over to his lap, hands grazing over his groin with just a featherlight wisp. Her other hand pulled him closer by the head, weaving into his hair.
How she managed to get him hard with her eyes closed and a smirk against his jaw, he hated it as much as he loved it. Maybe he loved it a little more by a marginal sliver when she pressed open mouthed kisses against his neck and let him inhale her perfume. Kyouya was happily intoxicated.
"I have to go check my makeup in the washroom," she nibbled on his ear and delicately extricated herself off of him, slithering off the velvet banquette in one swift motion. Her hand lingered along his thigh before she gave a gentle squeeze on his knee. The Ootori was in a lovestruck daze, catching her eyes as she turned back and winked at him. Kiyoko turned the handle to the door with a subtle beckoning of her pearl tipped fingers.
He scrambled to his feet as she left the door open, clearly falling behind with the swirl of alcohol that dampened his rationale but heightened every other sense in his body. Kyouya hardly kept himself subtle, clambering with the lock on the bathroom and trying to align the door properly against the jamb.
When he turned around, Kiyoko was in the midst of doing what she said she would do. Her lips were parted while she stared into her eyes, cleaning away the rim of black smudge around it. She looked fucking delectable, sweet and innocent as a peach when she was far from it. Kyouya grew impatient. He needed her in every way.
Kiyoko's stare met Kyouya's through the mirror as she stared him down, finding his frazzled state amusing. "What are you doing in here?" she asked with an eyebrow raised.
"I thought…" Kyouya blinked. Had he read the moment wrong? His hard on had told him otherwise. "You left the door open," he sputtered, pointing towards the haphazard lock he worked so hard to get together.
Her lips broke into a grin. "Yes, and?"
He glowered at her playful glance, trapping her against the sink. Her bare back was nicely warmed by his own body. "You think you're funny?"
"Yes," she smiled, welcoming the bubbling annoyance that emanated through his frown. "You don't think so?" Kiyoko asked him innocently, still facing the mirror.
"No," he drew closer. "Not at all," he growled while his hands turned her towards him by the hips. Kyouya leaned down to stare at her defiant eyes, a small smile danced upon her lips as she continued to egg him on. He tossed his suit jacket on the ground.
"Kneel."
Kiyoko's eyes widened, her grin wiped off by her surprise for a slight second. "As you wish, Ootori-san." She bore her eyes into his skull, refusing to lose this battle as she descended slowly to the tiled floor. Her knees were cushioned by his jacket, a gentleman as always. Kiyoko's fingers trailed down his legs, until she met the ground to which she innocently placed her hands in her lap and waited for him in anticipation.
While Kyouya had trouble with the door, he certainly had no issue in removing his belt buckle and pulling himself out for the woman who eyed him hungrily.
"Go on," he ordered. "This is what you wanted."
Her fingers gripped his cock with a firm tug, her rings sparkling beneath the warm ambient lighting. Kiyoko also found herself distracted, her eyes flickering between the gems and the noises that came out of the back of his throat while she thumbed the pre-cum over the head of his cock. His brain short circuited between feeling an immense gush of pride seeing that she was his and she had him literally by the balls in every way. He was obsessed with her.
"Fuck," he grunted as her tongue teased him from the bottom to the very top. "I love that you're mine."
She stared up at him, smiling at the way he was hardly keeping it together with just the faintest touch. Kiyoko took him in wholly with her mouth, letting him groan at the warmth.
"Good girl."
Kiyoko felt her jaw want to unhinge further at the two silly words, her movements getting more fluid as she moved her neck to pick up the pace. His hand gripped the crown of her head, slowing her enthusiasm. The diamond florets pressed right into his palm, forcing him to gentle his grip.
"Or rather," Kyouya's breaths were shallow as he did his best to keep himself calm and collected. "Good little wife," he growled. "Taking me in so well."
She nodded, moaning with her mouth full. Kiyoko squirmed beneath him, feeling the thin lace between her legs growing soaked by the minute. The sounds that echoed in the bathroom were absolutely filthy in every way.
"Kiyoko," his voice commanded her to stop as his fingers intertwined into her bun. Some bobby pins had fallen to the ground already but there was no time for that.
"Mm?" she popped her mouth off of him, tongue working her magic along the shaft. "Yes, Ootori-san?" her voice was sickeningly sweet. Kiyoko's eyes flickered up at him, rendering him speechless as she went back for seconds.
"I want to fuck you," Kyouya's brain could only work so fast, trying to find the words that were only diminished to some sort of primal need.
She hummed against him, the vibrations in her mouth nearly sending him off the edge. He pulled against her hair to remove her mouth before he absolutely lost it. Kiyoko's eyes darkened while she smirked up at him.
"How do you want me, darling?" Her innocuous rosy cheeks glowed with the buzz of alcohol, illuminated by the lighting of the mirror while she asked, her hand still working along his cock. The woman was a master at her craft as he stood there absolutely distracted, her words not registering in his brain.
"Ootori-san," Kiyoko ran a clawed tip along his hip bone, trying to bring him back with her touch. "Do you need options, baby?" she cooed.
"What options?" Kyouya mumbled. Baby, his lizard brain repeated. He could dwell on why that term made him gush later.
She shrugged flippantly. "I am sordidly wet," she admitted as a whine. Kiyoko licked the head of his cock to demonstrate. "Do you want–"
"Yes," he cut her off. Yes to anything. Yes to tasting her or to feel her glistening on his fingers and sliding on his cock. He was going to take her in every form. Kyouya was determined to get her to her babbling state, head empty and body filled with only pleasure. He was growing hungrier for her by the second.
"Up," Kyouya demanded roughly, even though he held out his hands to her, helping her stand like a gentleman. Kiyoko silently placed her palms over his as his thumb grazed over the diamonds on her finger as she stood. Someday he would cover her in diamonds, he thought. He turned her towards the mirror, hands slipping right between her thighs.
"All this for me?" he whispered. His finger grazed against the lace along her slit. "Fuck, you're dripping."
She nodded, biting her lip. He forced her to maintain eye contact with him through the mirror, watching as she tried to push her legs together only to be forced apart by his own leg.
"This bow," Kyouya tugged on the back of her white dress. It was perfectly short enough to fuck her in. He could fuck her just like this from the back but the man resisted with all of his willpower. "You're wrapped like a present. Did you do that for me? Are you my present?"
"Maybe," Kiyoko mumbled defiantly. He wrapped an arm around her to keep her from moving and then slipped a finger inside of her, gliding straight in and then right out to play with her clit. She shivered at his touch and he dipped right back into her, finding his favourite spot inside. She melted against him, knees wobbling.
"I'd like a definitive answer, Kiyoko." He roughly pulled on the lace and the rip echoed against the tiled walls. It was getting in the way of what he needed.
"Yes," she sighed, loving the way he aggressively pawed at her and losing control. "Yes, fuck. Yes." Kiyoko did not know if she was answering his question or leaning into his touch, expertly sliding in and out of her body to play her like an instrument he mastered over the course of their relationship. She nearly keeled over if she hadn't been gripping the mahogany countertop.
"Do you think you can cum like this, baby?" He palmed her clit with the most gentle graze, just enough to build up to a climax as he fingered her.
She nodded to him, eyes closed and her mouth agape as she came closer to the edge. Kyouya kissed her temple and revelled in the way she looked just for him. He pulled out of her right in time, staring as she opened her eyes with absolute desperation. Kyouya made her watch him bring his fingers to his tongue.
"You taste absolutely divine," he murmured. "What's wrong?" Kyouya smirked at the way she narrowed her eyes at him. "Did you think you were going to cum, darling?"
"Shut up, Kyouya," Kiyoko turned around and pushed him against the wall. He was still extraordinarily hard to the touch. Her fingers traced the veins on his cock as her thumb grazed over the head again, her lips moved over his neck with desperation. It was as far as she could reach. Kyouya pushed back with ease. He loved how small she was against him, now that she wore trainers. He lifted her by the thighs and pushed her dress up to place her on the bathroom counter, both ignoring the clamoring of something that had fallen over.
Kiyoko tugged his cock closer to her, lining them up so that one strong thrust was enough for them to both groan at how easily he slid inside. They both watched at how desperately wet they became, finally caving into that craving their bodies frantically needed. She gripped the edge of the counter, letting him pepper kisses along her collarbone, sucking right behind her ear as he inhaled her perfume. He held her in place with one strong arm behind her while his other thumb circled her engorged clit.
"Oh my god," she whispered in between a couple gasps. Kiyoko was overwhelmed by how she practically gushed with the way he pushed into her. She felt so full, and it felt so good. "Don't you fucking stop, Kyouya. I will divorce you."
He let out a chuckle before focusing on the task at hand. "I would never," he reassured. "Be a good wife for me," he egged her on. "Cum," he ordered while thrusting up against her.
Kiyoko leaned into his shoulder, letting her body take pleasure as her mind grew blank. His strong grip held her through the spasming of her muscles, her breathing laboured as she tried to ride through it quietly. Her hands left the countertop to find his shoulders, pulling him closer. She muffled her groans into his clothing, intoxicated by the scent of his cologne.
"I love you," she sighed against him as her brain finally found the right words after coming off the high.
"What was that?" She ignored the smugness in his voice.
"I love you, I love you, I love you," Kiyoko repeated in a hushed whisper, drunk off of his touch.
It was a poorly kept secret between the two of them as he let himself go against her. She affectionately combed her fingers through his hair, kissing him sweetly while he grunted against her lips. Kiyoko patted away the sheen of sweat and looked him in the eyes with adoration as he gathered his wits again, finding his breath.
"You love me?" A question playfully posed after the two had finally found a sync in their breathing. Their eyes twinkled at each other.
"I think you're quite alright."
A grin, a chuckle, and full blown laughter reverberated in their little bubble of joy.