The Waning (GojoHime) - Part 2

A New Strong(est) Duo, Part III

The night air held a biting chill. Utahime bit her lip, her fingers nervously fiddling with the edge of her sleeve to calm her racing pulse. Moonlight filtered through the weeping willow's branches, casting an intimate, almost conspiratorial glow on the hidden corner of the garden. Unlike the layers of silk she usually wore, tonight Utahime sported a simple, flowing robe—the color of twilight, perfect for melting into the shadows.

This was madness.

Tonight, they were defying the strictures of her arranged future, stealing precious moments under the cloak of night. A thrill, laced with a touch of fear, danced in her stomach. If anyone discovered their secret tryst, not only would their reputations be shattered, but the delicate web of alliances her betrothal to another noble family was meant to secure could unravel entirely.

Yet, the memory of their last encounter, filled with stolen glances and a spark that transcended polite smiles and stilted conversation, had left Utahime yearning for something more. Much more. It was a yearning as consuming as a raging fire. It was, most likely, a subtle manipulation, a spell woven by the brilliant rising star in the Imperial court, lauded for his poetry, political acumen, and his stunning talent for Jujutsu Sorcery.

Even if it was indeed sorcery that had set her aflame, she didn't care. If somebody wanted her this much, who was she to deny it to him?

Michizane no Sugawara was shrouded in an aura of mystery. Legends whispered of his lineage, a bloodline said to possess very special powers that could not be learned only inherited. Whispers spoke of his prowess in manipulating time itself, bending it to his will in subtle ways. Others, his enemies perhaps, felt the unnerving sensation of time inexplicably warping around him, moments stretching or compressing in a way that defied logic. Perhaps it was this hidden power, this dangerous allure that thrummed beneath his proper scholarly facade, that had ignited a yearning in Utahime that transcended duty.

And reason.

A rustle in the bushes sent her heart into a frenzy. Michizane emerged. He wore his usual scholar's robes, but loosened at the collar. Utahime fought the urge to blush as their gazes met.

"Iori-sama," he murmured, his voice a husky whisper against the rustling leaves. "You are finally here."

Utahime, her cheeks burning with a mixture of excitement and trepidation, held his star-filled gaze with difficulty. "Rules," she countered, her voice barely a whisper, "are like poems, Sugawara-sama. They exist to be beautifully crafted, but also to be creatively interpreted."

They inched closer, the air around them seemed to be charged with a forbidden energy. Each step brought them nearer to the precipice of desire, where the weight of duty threatened to pull them back, yet the pull of their hearts urged them forward.

The kiss began with a tentative exploration, a brush of lips that sent a jolt of electricity through them both. Utahime, her inhibitions melting away with each passing second, felt a surge of defiance against the constraints of the expectations piled upon her. Michizane, his touch laced with a reverence that belied his scholarly facade, deepened the kiss, his lips moving with a practiced sensuality that sent shivers down her spine.

The kiss was a wordless conversation where unspoken desires found expression. Their breaths mingled, a shared sigh escaping their lips as they surrendered to the intensity of the moment. Utahime's fingers tangled in Michizane's hair, the touch a silent plea for him to stay, to make this forbidden moment last forever. He, in turn, cupped her face, his touch a brand that seared the memory of this encounter onto her very soul. As they pulled away, breathless and yearning, their eyes locked, a silent promise exchanged.

"I will have you," he vowed.

Yes. He would.

The night deepened, the inky shadows offering a precarious cloak for the sin they were about to commit. Utahime, her heart a trapped sparrow in her chest, followed Michizane through a labyrinth of overgrown hedges bordering the garden. A knot of apprehension tightened in Utahime's stomach. This wasn't just a stolen kiss under the moonlight; this was a full-fledged trespass into forbidden territory—her own future. Michizane, sensing her hesitation, brushed his fingers against hers, a silent reassurance that sent more shivers down her spine.