Chapter 10: Lust or Love

"Son, are you sure you want to marry Maki right away? Even before Fushigoror's wedding?" Naobito was concerned. Recently, Mechamaru has been hesitant to accept Noabito's offer regarding the marriage between him and Maki. Naobito then countered with the incentive to give Mechamaru a full human body. He accepted the proposal after that but Mechamaru was acting strangely. Naobito noticed that he was requesting to speed up their wedding day.

"Yes. It might seem strange but I realized that Lady Maki might be falling for someone else" Mechamaru knew what would convince Naobito Zenin, "I wish to marry her as soon as possible so she will focus on me".

"Ah, you might be right Kokichi. I see what I can do" Naobito was worried about Maki running off with Yuta. He couldn't afford disrupting the flow of the clans; especially when a dangerous group was threatening to take revenge.

"Thank you Lord Naobito. I will excuse myself" Mechamaru bowed and exited Naobito's office. He was supposed to be training now but Mechamaru was already strong, which means more free time to see Miwa. He had to explain everything to her. Mechamaru decided to hurry with the marriage between him and Maki. That way, he can get his body instantly and run away with Miwa. He felt bad for Maki since she didn't deserve any of this but Mechamaru was willing to go this far in order to be with his one true love.

"I am sorry Lord Kokichi; however, Lady Miwa wishes not to see you" the maid bowed apologetically. Mechamaru was standing outside of Miwa's chamber. Because she was a royal guard of the Gojo clan, Miwa stayed at the residence. Her room was located in one of the many Gojo clan's mini houses; adjacent to the main building.

"Please. I have to see her!" Mechamaru instantly knew why Miwa was turning him away. Miwa was the sweetest person he ever met; she would never push anyone away. Somehow, she found out about the new engagement and Mechamaru had to clear things up.

"I am so-" the maid could barely finish before Mechamaru pushed Miwa's bedroom door open and headed inside, sliding the doors shut before the maid could do anything.

"Muta!" Miwa looked up from her bed. She looked sick; she was resting. After hearing about Mechamaru and Maki, Miwa collapsed after running to her bedroom. She put off her training and informed Satoru about her health. Miwa was ordered to take medicine and rest but her heart couldn't heal so easily.

"Listen Miwa, I can explain! Please, I love you" Mechamaru didn't know how to proceed but he definitely wanted Miwa to understand.

"I am sorry Muta but I don't feel well. Please leave me be" she looked ill seeing him. He probably was the last person she wanted to see. Miwa couldn't believe Mechamaru would betray her like this. She loved him so much; she wanted to be with him forever. But now, everything was shattered. His "I love you" felt empty to her.

"Miwa, I know you don't wish to see me right now and you are confused but trust me, I did this for us!" Mechamaru continued, "I accepted the engagement so we can be together forever".

"Do- do you hear yourself Muta?" Miwa got up from her bed. Her whole face was sulken; she hasn't been eating properly. "How are we going to be together if you are marrying someone else?" Miwa's voice broke at the last part. She started crying softly. It pained Mechamaru to see her cry. It broke his heart.

"I can't tell you right now but please trust me. We can be together" Mechamaru tried to console her. He held her arms and brought her close to his chest despite Miwa's hesitance. Mechamaru couldn't tell her why he was marrying Maki. If he did, she is surely going to put a stop to it. Miwa had a good heart not to mention she was Maki's friend. She would rather sacrifice her own happiness if it meant her friend would be happy. It pained Mechamaru to see her this way but he couldn't tell her.

"Yo-you are making no sense" Miwa continued to cry. She felt so betrayed but couldn't bring herself to push him away. She loved him after all. The two stood there. The room was silent while Miwa's cries echoed through the walls.

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Last night, Shoko visited the Gojo residence to deliver an important letter. She rode into the carriage and felt nervous as the huge architecture got closer and closer. Shoko came uninvited; what is she going to say? The Gojo clan was one of the three biggest sorcerer clans, coming unannounced is very unprofessional. She calmed herself down by reassuring herself that it was for Satoru's sake. Afterall, he was the one who made this whole proposal. Shoko steps out of the vehicle and onto the pavement. Her eyes immediately darted to the overbearing gates of the Gojo mansion. It was scary indeed but she proceeded to get closer as several bodyguards approached her with questions.

"Ah, yes. Master Satoru's chamber is this way" one of the bodyguards instantly recognized Shoko. She is the genius healer that all the clans valued so much; especially Satoru.

"Thank you very much. I apologize for the inconvenience" Shoko was hoping the walk would be faster because she didn't know what to talk about with the guard.

"Of course Ma'am" the bodyguard was charmed by her politeness. Soon, they reached Satoru's part of the house and it looked like a mini mansion. Shoko visited the Gojo clan a few times but she could never get used to the paths and how big Satoru's place was compared to her parents' tiny home. The guard knocked and announced their presence.

"Shoko! Come in, come in" Satoru instantly opened the door. No matter what went on between them, he was always in a good mood. Shoko looked tired and out of energy all the time while Satoru was the complete opposite. She wondered how he could have all this energy.

"Thank you Lord Satoru" Shoko made sure to use honorifics in front of the guard and headed inside. The guard bowed and went on his way as Satoru closed the door.

His bedroom probably was the size of a whole living room. In fact, there was a mini living room inside it. One side of the room consisted of a framed bed, night tables, drawers, and other small furniture while the other side stored shelves, two loveseats facing each other, a coffee table, and a giant fireplace. The whole room was also filled with paintings, sculptures, and plants. Satoru had the latest technology as well. Shoko could never afford this luxury even with her doctor salary. "You look good" Satoru caught Shoko's attention. She was so distracted by the decor that she hadn't noticed him in his nightgear. He wore a thin and comfortable yukata; most of his chest was exposed.

"I had to dress this way or my mom wouldn't let me come here. You guys are a big deal after all" Shoko hated dressing so fancy. The kimono had like four layers at least and god knows how many ties and knots. She struggled to move in them. She was glad to be out of her tall sandals though; she was in slippers now.

"Sounds exactly like you. You got past the make-up at least" Satoru pointed at her face. Shoko still displayed her tired work bags under her eyes. She wasn't embarrassed though. Satoru knew everything about her; they were practically family.

"Yeah, thank god. I will make this fast" Shoko sighed and looked back at him, he was waiting for her to continue. "Here. My parents want me to marry you" Shoko handed the response letter to Satoru. He took the letter and opened it without hesitation.

"This is written by your mother alright. Are you sure I am marrying you and not your mom?" He chuckled. He felt a bit hurt. Satoru wished it was Shoko who was willing to marry him and not be forced into it. Sure, there was no love between them but it would be better for both to consent to this of their own accord.

"Don't be disappointed" Shoko smiled, "I agreed to come deliver it on my own because I wish to marry you too". Satoru's eyes went wide in shock. He quickly composed himself and stopped from blushing. He had his mask off so he couldn't hide his expressions.

"Anyway, I think that's all from me. Unless you found someone already" Shoko felt a little concerned when she said the last part. For some reason, her heart couldn't accept Satoru marrying someone else. She choked it up to her being annoyed since she came all the way.

"Nah" Satoru got closer to her. He looked at how short she was; it was surely going to break his back trying to bend down to her level from now on; but, he was ready. Shoko was taken by surprise as Satoru kissed her. They both stood there in that room; awkwardly staring at each other's eyes as their lips were meshed together. Shoko could see his eyes now. She always knew how beautiful they were but he was so close; too close. In fact, they have never even dreamed of being this close. It felt so unusual for the both of them. They were best friends; there was a border. However, they crossed it and there was no going back. Shoko pulled away first.

"That-that was very fast!" Shoko exclaimed. She was avoiding Satoru's gaze. She didn't know what to say or do.

"Well it's going to be awkward if you make it awkward, dummy" Satoru felt a little embarrassed. He could talk to anyone; nothing fazed him but this was a completely different matter. Why was it so hard with her?

"Don't blame me. You are the one kissing out of nowhere" Shoko was blushing. She felt heat rushing to her face. The two stood there blaming each other for what happened.

"Okay, how about we go to my summer estate to talk things out?" Satoru knew there was danger but he could trust his students to defend the clans. Besides, he and Shoko needed to work on things; very bad.

"How the hell is that going to solve anything?!" Shoko questioned. "Are you out of your mind Satoru? We are dealing with a lot right now-" Shoko was interrupted by him.

"Yeah I know! But we really need to fix this or otherwise this whole marriage thing is going to be weird" he knew what she meant. Even so, they needed to work on getting out of the best friend phase and into the husband and wife stage. "I will pick you up this weekend".

"Fine. I am leaving now!" Shoko walked out of the room while Satoru followed. The two were silent as they walked to the gate. Both were thinking about the kiss. How will we ever make this work? The two thought as they reached the carriage waiting outside.

"Please drop her off safely" Satoru told the driver and looked at Shoko. The two didn't know what to say after what happened. Shoko awkwardly said "bye" while Satoru gave his usual wave. The vehicle took off as he watched his best friend-no-his future-wife ride away into the night.

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Choso was by himself this time. Usually, Yuji would drag him to the Tsukumo mansion but this time, Choso had to come alone. He was set to wed Yuki soon so it made sense to see his future wife by himself. However, it still felt strange. Choso was hung up on completing all of Yuji's duties back at the Kamo residence but he couldn't avoid Yuki forever. Not after he had a challenge to complete; a challenge where he must fall in love with her or the engagement will be off.

"I thought you ran away" Yuki shut her folding fan and put it down as she smirked at Choso. They were in the guest room in the Tsukumo house. The Tsukumo's were nobles so their residence consisted of many rooms. Choso was to stay overnight to get to know Yuki better before their big day.

"I never run away from a challenge" Choso replied monotonically, unbothered by her insult. "So what is this "love" thing you speak of?".

Yuki sighed, "you are really hopeless". She proceeds to finish her tea. The room had a comfortable futon and traditional decor. It was also only lit by two giant lanterns. The moon was visible through the window atop the futon.

"Am not. Why don't you explain it to me?" Choso was intrigued. He read the definition of love before but Yuki mentioned something about romantic love. "You have sex with the one you romantically love, correct?" Choso asked her. While his expression was straightforward, Yuki blushed instantly. She knew how Choso operated differently but seeing him say things like that without a second thought was something else. She laughed out loud.

"Yes, that's right; but, that's not what love is all about" Yuki was struggling to think of a way to make her point. "To love someone romantically is like feeling affection for one person, who is very special to you. Let me demonstrate" Yuki got up from her sitting position and walked around the tea-table. She sat next to Choso and used one hand to turn his face to look at her. She gulped; Yuki felt heat on her face but she proceeded to kiss Choso.

Yuki had her eyes closed while Choso just watched her. He didn't try pushing her away; but, he was super confused. Yuji always talked about kissing and having sex with the one you love but Choso never experienced that. He felt this nervous feeling building inside him; a rush he never felt before.

"Did you feel anything?" Yuki pulled away. She was still embarrassed from the act but knew it wasn't a big deal. She was older now; kissing was just something any adult experiences. However, Choso's case was different, which made Yuki more embarrassed than usual.

"Well...I felt this weird feeling in my stomach" Choso replied with his usual dullness. However, he looked a bit different somehow. His face formed a little blush, unbeknownst to the both of them.

"Okayyyyy. I guess it isn't working. My charm can work on anyone" Yuki held a finger to her chin. She looked deeply in thought. Yuki got up and stood in the center of the room, still deep in thought. The futon lay a few inches away from her feet.

Choso rose up from his seat and walked towards her. He grabbed her hand to spin her around. He faced her as he said, "then let's try the love-making thing my brother always speaks of".

Yuki's face instantly formed a blush. "Wha-what?! N-no we can't do that yet!" She exclaimed. Her hands were waving frantically.

"Why not?" Choso was confused. Weren't they trying to fall in love? "Isn't sex love?" he asked her.

"W-well yeah but…" Yuki sighed, "it's only a part of it". Yuki looked away in embarrassment. She couldn't believe he was the one she picked. Choso and Yuki fought bravely in the Great War against the Kenjaku. They formed a bond by protecting Master Tengen, which is why Yuki thought he would be the right choice. Afterall, she was more familiar with Choso compared to the other bachelors. Not to mention Choso's beauty compared to the older men who were widows and had at least three kids. She didn't wish to marry them certainly. "Kissing, holding hands, sex, and pleasure are all part of it but that's not what love is" Yuki didn't know how to explain, which sucked because she was the one who insisted it. Why can't Choso just get it? She thought.

"You kissed me in hopes of us falling in love. Then why can't we have sex to see if that works?" Choso was willing to try anything if it meant he would win this challenge. It was surely a strange one but a challenge nonetheless. Frankly, Choso just wanted to feel more of that butterfly-in-his-stomach feeling that he felt earlier and something tells him that sex will help with that.

"Fine then" Yuki stopped strategizing and just went with the flow. She raised both of her hands and wrapped it around Choso's neck. They were pretty close to the same height so she didn't need to tip-toe. Yuki breathed heavily as their eyes were on one another, waiting for the other to make the first move. Choso then moved his hands from their resting place, which was on his sides. He wrapped them around her waist. They were inches away from each other. Choso and Yuki could smell each other's breath; smells of chamomile tea. Yuki put her face to the side while Choso did the same the other way. Sounds of birds and insects could be heard from the window but only their hearts were audible to each other. They kissed passionately this time. Choso was getting better at it. Yuki used one of her hands to hold his face as the kiss got intense.

The two let go but instantly went for another. This time, it was more intense. Yuki slid her tongue inside and Choso followed. He was learning as they went. She was leading the way but Choso was catching up quickly. Yuki moaned a little as they swayed their faces left to right to find the right position to make their kiss long-lasting. The tongues were colliding as saliva was being interchanged. Yuki's whole body was heating up while Choso felt a rush in his legs. The butterfly feeling came back in his stomach and a sudden pleasure plagued his private area. He was surprised by this effect and it grew more and more as Yuki kissed him. Choso felt his light kimono getting tighter at his nether. But he wanted to feel more of it; this good feeling.

"Choso" Yuki said in a lower voice. She had to let go; it was getting too intense. Yuki needed a second to breathe. Something was forming in her legs that she had to push away Choso. Otherwise, it will get worse from there.

"Yuki" Choso called her without any honorifics for the first time, which made Yuki jerk up at him. "I want to continue. Further" Choso felt pain; the pressure in his nether region was getting to him. He wanted to do anything to get rid of it.

Yuki gulped. She knew what came after. Was she and Choso ready for it? "O-okay. Just so you know" she gulped again. "You can never go back" her face displayed complete redness like a tomato. Choso was also heated up now. He was breathing heavily as well.

"Positive" that's all Choso could utter. The pain in his area was unbearable; he had to satisfy it. With that, the two unclothed each other. While they kissed, they untied the knots of their night kimono. Thankfully, it didn't have too many ties. Yuki slowly layed her body down on the futon, all the while locking eyes with Choso. He lowered himself to her as well. She broke the silence first.

"Choso" she didn't need to say anything else. He proceeded to use his right hand to enter her. Yuki was a bit worried that he wouldn't be able to locate the proper hole, she laughed inside her head; thinking about Choso struggling to find the right place. Surprisingly, he wasn't that clueless. "Yuki, agh!" Choso grunted as he entered her fully.

"Choso! Choso! Aaaaah~" Yuki was being driven crazy. Her mind felt fuzzy while her body was vibrating with pleasure; taking everything in that Choso offered. He was thrusting at a slow pace. He was still up in the air as his two hands rested next to each of her ears. She looked up at his eyes while he looked down at hers. Choso's waist was covered with a blanket, which put them in more heat. Despite the autumn's chilly weather, the two were burning.

"Ahhh! Yuji was right, this does feel good!" Choso panted heavily and continued thrusting harder. Yuki blushed at his statement.

"You are so-something else Choso! Aahh" Yuki was moaning with delight. She didn't have time reprimanding Choso when she was nearing her end. She wanted to wait for him however.

"Something is coming! I-" Choso couldn't finish his sentence as he came. It felt so good to finally satisfy his craving. The two were panting heavily while looking at each other. Yuki came with him as well, being fulfilled.

"Did you feel anything this time?" Yuki snickered. Choso got off and layed next to her. They were laying sideways, facing each other.

"Yeah for sure" Choso chuckled. "Something really good". He was surely doing this again. Who knew sex was this good? Choso never listened to Yuji talk about it. They would visit brothels but he had no interest in those affairs. Choso had so much work cut out for him that leisures was out of the question. However, this night definitely changed his view. He knew one thing for sure: Choso wanted to have more sex with her.

Yuki watched as Choso closed his eyes to sleep. The two were yawning like crazy so it was a matter of time before they collapsed. Afterall, they were both happily satisfied. However, Yuki's smile fell. She knew having sex with Choso wasn't a sure way to make him fall in love. What if instead of love, Choso was lusting after her?...