14. Reach an agreement
One hour ago...
"Umeko san!" One of the apprentice mikos ran into that shop
"What's wrong Amaya?"
Umeko questioned as she finished serving a couple
That apprentice caught her breath
"Two men are looking for your!" And by the way, one of them is very attractive!" She had a slight blush on his cheeks.
"They are waiting for you at the entrance of the sanctuary and they say they must talk to you urgently" Amaya said with a little smile.
Umeko tilted her head a little at such words—"Talk to me?"—
"Yes, come on!"—
Thus, Umeko accompanied that apprentice to that sacred portal
The kuchiyose miko's eyes widened. Surprise was visible on her face.
"You here again!" Didn't I tell you to go reflect and take this day?" She said putting her hands on her hips.
—Umeko san, I have come to ask you and the kamis something important— Gojo said with puppy eyes
As Ijichi adjusted his glasses in sorrow
At the moment
That home looked clean and somewhat tidy, I say "some" because there were some Yoshio toys scattered in that room
Gojo was sitting in one of the armchairs while in his hands he brought a small figure of a robot
"I'd like to buy him more toys and play with him" thought Gojo as he looked at the little figure.
The albino looked curiously at that apartment while Utahime returned from the kitchen with some snacks.
That place caught his attention, since this new apartment was larger than the previous one where Utahime lived
Although it brought back some memories of when she and he slept, had dinner or had good sex in the previous apartment.
But currently she was very curious to know how she and his son lived there.
"Well, since I try not to give Yoshio too much sugar, I only have to offer you "Animal Cookies" — Utahime said leaving that tray on the coffee table
She also brought some tea for both of us
"As long as they're not poisoned or you don't want to throw tea in my face again, I guess they'll be fine while we talk," Gojo laughed lightly, taking some cookies.
Utahime just made a face and took his cup.
They were both sitting opposite each other and only that coffee table divided them
"Well... what do you want to talk about, Gojo?" asked Utahime seriously
"But first, where is Yoshi? You don't have it locked up? right?" - Gojo asked something curious
"Who do you take me for?"💢! - She said trying not to get upset – "Right now he is in his baseball training "- she sipped her tea
Utahime hoped that drink would give her serenity, but it seemed impossible with that idiot in front of her
"Baseball, huh? I just hope you didn't put him in those training sessions because of your crazy obsession with those sports" — answered Gojo with a smile before taking a sip of his tea
It seemed that the man only wanted to provoke her
"Imbecil"💢Utahime frowned.
"Although..." Gojo began to say after eating more cookies
"If my memory serves me correctly, we may have created Yoshio while "that game" was happening. Don't you remember? In your old apartment, on that couch when...— Gojo described
But Utahime interrupted him
"Ahem, Gojo!" She cleared his throat.
Utahime blushed a little, but her pursed lips indicated that she was about to lose her patience.
"Get to the point. What do you want to talk to me about?" What did you come here for?" she ask, staring at him.
Some veins were standing out on her forehead from the annoyance that that man caused him in her living room.
But instead, Gojo seemed happy to be there.
The sorcerer put in the middle of the coffee table, that almost destroyed photo album of his son
"Umeko san gave me this after you and I discussed, you seem to place very well what this book is about, don't you, Utahime?"
"Mom!" Utahhime reluctantly said and rolled her eyes for a moment.
It was as if his own mother sided with this idiot, so he would talk to her about it later.
"I guess she was the one who told you where she lived, right?" She crossed his arms over his chest.
"Yes, and you don't know how much I begged him to tell me"
Umeko san did not make it easy for that man, who was begging her with puppy dog eyes for an hour
"But she was also the one who asked me to reflect on everything that had happened and she advised me to come look for you when I was ready and that's why I'm here." The albino looked her in the eye
That woman was silent
Gojo licked his lips a bit and sat with his legs apart, very sure of himself.
"So I came here in the first place to apologize to you for yesterday..." he said without taking his eyes off her.
Utahime just took a deep breath and just listened to him as she crossed her legs
Utahime was really on the defensive and still upset about yesterday
"I know it was wrong what I did yesterday to take our son without warning you and without your permission, but Yoshio is a very smart boy who even managed to convince me to leave the temple," Gojo said with a smile
Utahime remained silent as she let him speak
"And I also want to apologize to you for destroying your family's pagoda." He sigh a bit before continuing.
"And above all for having raised your voice and for having taken you hard..." His words sounded sincere.
Utahime was still very serious
"So Utahime, I want to ask you from the bottom of my heart to forgive me for everything that happened yesterday"— Gojo swallowed hard and took a deep breath
They both had a moment of silence.
The albino was nervous about what that woman was going to say
Utahime I take a deep breath
"Okay... I accept your apology Gojo" She sighed
"I guess I should ask you for an apology anyway, although you don't deserve it," she said with a bit of pride.
Gojo smiled to hear that. "I'm glad to hear that!" He loosened his shoulders in a satisfied sigh.
Again Utahime was silent as she sipped her tea.
"And secondly, I came here so we can talk about Yoshio... Utahime." He joined his hands for a moment.
"What do you want to talk about my son?" She ask annoyed leaving her cup almost suddenly
Gojo felt that change of attitude in her
"Why are you upset?" He ask curiously, putting some cookies in his mouth.
"I'm not!" she lied, she had been furious for a while but she was hiding it very well
"Just talk before I decide to throw the tea in your face!" She said very seriously
Utahime already wanted that man to leave his house
"So I guess you're in a good mood, huh?" Gojo blurted out, but Utahime ignored that comment.
"Well... What I came for is mainly because I want to reach an agreement with you, Utahime." His gaze was serene, but at the same time it was imposing.
Utahime swallowed hard and pursed her lips... She couldn't stop looking into his eyes and those words caused her anxiety.
"I want to live with Yoshi, I want to be the father he deserves and that he didn't have for these six years..." his tone of voice changed to one that denoted sadness
"It hurts me that I didn't spend his first years with him and that's why I came because I want to recover and spend time with my son, I want to take him to the parks and play with him, I want to help him with his homework, I want to do everything he's supposed to do a father with his children"- Gojo said seriously as his index finger hit that photo album
Utahime pursed her lips again, took a deep breath, and took another sip of her tea...
It seemed that she was thinking about those words and more than her pride was the only thing that made her strong not to cry
A very heavy silence was present in that room
Utahime's energy was unstable, his hatred towards the sorcerer was felt
On the contrary, Gojo's energy felt calm at that moment as his eyes scanned the woman in front of him from head to toe.
After a long minute of silence, Utahime set her cup down on the tray.
"And if I refuse to let you be near my son?" Utahime answered very firmly
She was not going to leave it so easily to that man
Her gaze scanned Gojo's face, who was looking at her with a big smile on his face... she didn't trust him at all.
On the other hand, Gojo liked it when Utahime contradicted him.
He leaned back in the chair, put his arm on the backrest and raised one leg, resting it on the other.
He was ready to discuss
"If you refuse, Utahime... I can only assure you that I will take Yoshio by force and rest assured that legally I will not leave it easy for you" Gojo answered with a big smile "I will make you suffer with many legal obstacles"
"But the law is on my side as a woman!" — Utahime raised her voice too much
"Yoshio has my last name and I have his parental authority! And as his mother I don't want you to be near him!" She became so defensive that she even leaned forward glaring at him furiously.
"And I'm his father and I have enough legal and political power to take him from you today if I want..." Gojo raised his voice as well.
"So let's do this for good, is that okay with you?" He had a big mocking smile on his face.
Utahime breathed heavily that her nostrils flared with anger and her breathing was ragged.
"You decide Utahime, by hook or by crook" — Gojo rested both arms on the back of the chair
He would truly keep his word no matter what pain he will cause in his wake.
Utahime looked at him with hatred at that moment... she was between his back and the wall
She knew that losing his son would hurt too much and Gojo is not a man to be taken lightly.
"What should I do?" she wondered mentally as she lowered her eyes
She had to think wisely and more for the good of his son
For a moment she stared at the cup of tea, she really wanted to throw that at him and kick him out of the house.
Gojo smiled to see how Utahime's hands trembled, he was ready to see how that liquid crashed against his infinity as always
Utahime wanted to cry, she felt cornered looking at that green album
But at that moment and as if it were a ray of sunshine, Utahime remembered Shoko's words
"Give in a little to their requests, but at the same time stand firm and put your pride aside for a while"
That made Utahime make a decision that in the future would only cause problems and some headaches.
She would hate himself for that, but it was the only way out of this difficult situation.
I spend a minute of silence between those two...
Utahime took a deep breath—"Okay"— She let out in a sigh
"What did you say?" Gojo asked, putting a hand to his ear.
"I said it's fine!...I'll let you see and hang out with Yoshio BUT ONLY UNDER MY CONDITIONS!" - Utahime replied relaxing her body a little
The poor was so tense that even her shoulders and jaw ached from stress.
"It seems perfect!" Gojo let out as a cry of victory.
Then he went forward to take the last cookies from that plate
"Although I would like to talk about those conditions you have for me..." he said with his mouth full
I swallow, I drink some tea and then he spoke again "First I would like to hear what Yoshio thinks about all this" commented the albino smiling
"It is important to take him into account since he is a very smart boy like his father, that is me!"— he flattered himself with a bit of triumph in his voice
Utahime sighed again and then looked at the clock on his wall.
It was barely two in the afternoon and she couldn't bear to see Gojo there anymore.
It had only been thirty minutes since that idiot arrived.
"Well, I suppose you'll ask him another day, since he won't arrive until later from his training." Utahime stood up
"So Gojo, could you leave my house now?" "Please" — she said trying to sound "polite" while she continued to glare at him
"Maybe you have something more important to do, right? Don't you have someone else to bother? - She ask with annoyance
Gojo let out a light laugh. "I'm not in a hurry and Ijichi will wait for me all day if I need him... on the contrary, I want to stay and wait for Yoshio." He also stood up.
That man took a few steps towards she
"Utahime... What do you think if while our son arrives..."— now he was in front of her
That woman looked him in the face and put her hands on her hips
"Now what do you want?" she question annoyed
Gojo brought his face closer to hers with a big smile like in the old days
"How about you and I have a little fun?" Eh Utahime?" - he ask in a seductive tone
Gojo could not deny it, he was still attracted to that woman
Seeing her again after so long and having her so close made his heart tremble with joy.
His hands tensed slightly, he wanted to take her in his arms and bring her closer to his body like in the old days.
Even for a moment he doubted whether or not he should caress that scar, since his right hand trembled when it rose slightly towards her face, but he stopped suddenly when he saw how serious that woman was in front of him.
Instead, Utahime did not take her eyes off him... that man was still very attractive despite the years
Her amber eyes traveled all over the albino's face until they reached his lips... he had mixed feelings for that stupid smile
But she wasn't going to fall for his "games" so easily.
Gojo slowly lowered his gaze to Utahime's lips, which were still sealed in a smirk.
Gojo wasn't going to deny it, he was tempted to kiss her like the last time six years ago
"Utahime...— said that man in a low voice—" Doesn't this bring back good memories?"— he said seductively.
Utahime crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes trying to guess what intentions that idiot had when he felt his breath very close to her face
"Not really, this doesn't remind me of anything good." Her voice sounded angry.
Although if it brought him good and "hot" memories, she was not going to give in to that albino
That environment of annoyance was beginning to turn into one of attraction, but Utahime was not going to fall so easily into the provocations of this idiot.
The exchange of glances continued, Gojo looked at her with hope while Utahime tried not to hesitate while the silence was present
Gojo was going to take the next step... so he slowly walked towards her
Would that flirting strategy work for him?
Utahime slightly moistened her lips
"Satoru," Utahime began to say as he felt the man's face and breath very close to her lips.
Hearing her call his name again was hypnotic for him.
"Yes?" Gojo smiled.
But like I said, Utahime was adamant about not giving in.
"What is your intention with all this? what do you want?" – She sounded serious – "Only talks about one damn time before now if I throw the tea in your fase" - she look at him directly
Utahime cursed himself a little for how he felt to see him again...
But she knew it wasn't right to have feelings for him at this point in her life.
The poor felt that her heart was going to come out of her chest when she saw how Gojo kept bringing his lips closer to hers.
It seemed that all that fury disappeared in the blink of an eye
"I want..." the words were coming out of Gojo's lips little by little while Utahime struggled to remain firm and not close her eyes
Their lips were inches from touching.
Utahime swallowed saliva and turned her face to the side when she saw that he seemed to be serious about that.
She couldn't even look him in the eye because of the anger I felt again.
The albino smiled from ear to ear.
His face stopped when he saw that gesture... It seemed that his first step had failed, but he would not give up easily
Since he arrived at that apartment, Gojo already had a very elaborate plan in his mind to achieve his goals;
Being able to live with your child●Return to the world of the sorceressihand in hand with that family
He had to kill two birds with one stone... but those plans would begin to be frustrated little by little, starting with Utahime not wanting to fall for his charms.
And without taking his eyes off Utahime, in a quick movement he took that album from the coffee table
"While Yoshio arrives, I just want you to tell me a few things about him and by the way"
He made puppy dog eyes and pouted. "I want more animal crackers, please..." he said like a little boy.
Utahime snorted loudly and looked at him angrily—"Ok..."—
Once again, Utahime cursed herself in her mind for having to give in to this idiot just so he wouldn't take her son from her.
It felt like they were playing a baseball game
"Strike one!"