Chapter Text
Thickly muscled arms cut through the cool, morning air, a thin layer of steam rising from the flesh hot with exertion. Having newly established himself as the leader of the Zen'in clan, Toji can't afford to let his physique slide. More than that, though, he enjoys the quiet of the woods outside the manor before the chaos of clan affairs and the constant irritation of arrogant suitors requesting his audience to inquire after his precious omega son. Training keeps his mind at ease and helps release the tension from his shoulders in addition to maintaining his body. He's not the tallest man, just shy of 6'2”, but his hulking muscle mass is enough to intimidate even the most prideful alphas. Toji always sought not only to look like he could beat up anyone who crossed his path but also made it a point to fight the strongest person he could find. He lost only once, but it still haunts him and he vows to find and destroy that man one day.
He must be in his late 20s by now, that shitty blue-eyed brat.
Toji takes a wooden staff next and works through his next set of exercises, pushing himself as if he were challenging an equally skilled opponent. A rustling noise disturbs him and he launches the staff towards it, the wood embedding itself almost halfway through a tree. It misses his secretary's ear by a hair's breadth, yet the stoic beta remains unaffected, having been used to Toji's antics.
"Is it time already?" Toji huffs, placing his hands on his hips to catch his breath. Although he's shirtless and in loose cotton pants, he still feels overly warm from his work out. Kong steps out into the clearing with a clipboard in hand.
"Your first appointment with the lawyer starts in an hour. I figured you'd like to get cleaned up and eat with your family before then." Dark eyes watch Toji gather the scattered weapons to bring back to the manor. "You get so grumpy when you miss meals with Megumi."
Toji tsks as he places the various weapons inside his duffle bag. Kong knows how to get on his fucking nerves. He puts on his shirt and walks over to the tree to remove the embedded staff with a violent yank. Kong blinks calmly to avoid getting splints in his eyes. Toji needs to figure out a way to instill more fear into the bastard.
"Afterwards, you have an audience with Ryoumen Sukuna," Kong continues. Toji stops in his tracks, his grip tightening on the strap of his bag and the staff.
"What?"
Ryoumen Sukuna is the leader of a new pack on the eastern part of Tokyo. Toji has never met him before, but has heard that he's an intelligent and ruthless alpha that earned his reputation by starting his own hedge fund soon after college then quickly buying a few more after some risky bets in stocks. Toji appreciates a self made man and has a lot of respect for Ryoumen, but Toji isn't exactly looking to make new friends after having just killed a few of them in addition to a few family members.
"He said he wanted to introduce himself," Kong explains with a shrug. "He is a young alpha, relatively and figuratively. I can understand his position."
"So you put him on my fucking schedule?" Toji forages on ahead, remembering that he still needs to shower before seeing Megumi off to class. "He better not have been scheduled less than a month after asking."
"Three months, to be exact." Toji nods in approval.
Kong runs through the rest of Toji's day before they get back to the manor, the alpha only half listening along the way.
–
Part of the incentive to finally kill his perverted and power hungry uncle was to gain access to all the riches of the Zen'in clan, including their servants. Toji could never cook for shit, and rather than spending time trying not to burn the eggs or put too much water in the rice cooker, a chef is able to deliver delicious meals daily. Occasionally Toji will cook for his son, such as on Sundays when most servants have the day off. Most days, Toji doesn't have to worry about poisoning them.
Megumi already awaits at the dining table for him, scrolling his phone. He’s beautiful in the way most omegas are, but Toji thinks he’s especially so since he takes after his late mother. Long lashes, pink lips and lithe frame, Megumi could almost be mistaken for a female, though his clothes hide the corded muscle beneath, a gift, in addition to his green eyes, from the Zen’in bloodline. The martial arts lessons he’s received since he was a child also helps.
“Morning,” Toji says, taking his seat opposite Megumi. The younger man puts his phone away and nods in his direction.
“Hey.”
They are rebuilding their relationship. Toji didn’t get along with his old man, was outwardly hated by him, actually, and left the Zen’in clan shortly after meeting Megumi’s mother. When old man Zen’in found out that Megumi was an omega, he made an offer Toji couldn’t refuse at the time in exchange for his son. Toji still has some regret for giving Megumi to his father, but knew that Megumi would be treated well. As a Zen’in omega, the first born in two generations, Megumi indeed was. From Toji’s understanding, and in the residual ways the staff interact with him, Megumi was treated like a princess, given the best of everything and anything, and if he hadn’t been born with his mother’s sweet temperament, he would’ve been an entitled, bratty asshole.
In some ways, he is a little to Toji, who is still asking for his forgiveness and also unable to fight his alpha instinct to spoil his omega offspring rotten.
“How many classes do you have today? Three right?” Sometimes Toji feels like the stereotypical father trying to connect with his kid and cringes. Luckily, Megumi tends to cut him some slack.
“I have two today. My shift at the cafe is from 3 to 6, so I’ll be a little late for dinner.”
“Ah, it's Tuesday.” Toji can’t keep Megumi’s schedules straight. “That’s fine, then.”
They finish the rest of their meals in silence. Toji sees him off. He insists on taking his bike then public transit to the university. Toji only let him with security guards following at a discreet distance.
He makes his way to his office on the other side of the manor to meet with the lawyer to pick up where they left off the other day. His short attention span and dismissal of details ironically extended their meeting to two days.
Ichiji-san, an anxious middle aged beta male, has been employed by the Zen’ins for as long as Toji could remember. His meek nature is annoying but his skill in writing legal contracts is unparalleled. He’s helping Toji make sense of everything his old man had him write up to know what he has access to and what he doesn’t. Based on their conversations so far, Megumi is technically the Zen’in heir and has control over the estate, including finances. This changes once he’s mated, at which point the estate will transfer to his closest living kin with the purpose of recreating new contracts with Megumi’s alpha mate in consideration. There are nuances that Toji doesn’t understand and wants to, though he has no intention of wresting anything away from his son.
When omegas are mated, their family generally gives a dowry to the alpha, much like in ancient times past. Given that the Zen’in clan is older than rock, Toji will be expected to provide a dowry (over his dead body), and all the omega’s family claims will remain with them, shared between the omega and their mate. The alpha, unless specified, would not have free access to their omega mate’s assets, and would in general provide completely for their family. The practice of having omegas inherit a clan’s wealth was made with the idea of political matings, with omega families accumulating assets from alphas mated to them. It's an archaic system that Toji has no intention of continuing but with the legal bullshit the old man had written, only Megumi could dissolve with extreme difficulty.
It's part of why Toji refuses to entertain any alpha coming within a mile radius of his son with intentions to mate. He doesn’t want their grubby hands on his son’s inheritance, but he also doesn’t want their grubby hands on his son at all.
“How much money do I have again?” Toji asks boredly, cutting off Ichiji in the middle of his reading of properties the clan owns.
“Er, that’s a question best for Nanami-san,” Ichiji says, adjusting his glasses nervously. “But you have access to all the funds in the clan’s checking account. Keeping in mind, Megumi-kun also has access to those funds.”
“Tch.” Toji has had some bad habits in the past, namely gambling with money he didn’t have. Now that he’s taken over as the patriarch, everyone continues to remind him that whatever money he takes may affect Megumi negatively. It’s a low blow, really.
By the end of the hour, Toji has no better understanding of what an alpha marrying into the Zen’in clan will be able to touch and just assumes that it will be nothing, because Megumi isn’t mating with an alpha, or anyone, for as long as he’s still breathing.
That’s his mentality when Ryoumen Sukuna is ushered into his office next. Toji stands and walks around his desk to fully assess the other alpha. His first thought is big , which is good for Ryoumen. Next is handsome , also good. Ryoumen is nearly as tall as Toji, maybe a centimeter or two shorter, and just as broad. He has neatly styled hair and deep red eyes that compliment his tanned skin nicely. His bespoke navy suit and cream colored button down are fitted to his body nicely, attractively outlining the muscles underneath. He doesn’t smell bad either - calm and confident.
Toji is immediately on edge.
“Thank you for meeting with me, Fushiguro-san,” Ryoumen greets politely, holding his large hand out for a shake. Toji takes it, noting the interesting callouses on the other’s palm. Ryoumen gives him an almost knowing smirk.
“Have a seat.” Toji sits in one of the two seats facing each other, separated by a low glass table. Ryoumen does so, unbuttoning his jacket and revealing a light brown vest fitted over his trim waist. Toji leans back casually despite feeling anything but. Ryoumen, though well put together and disarming, is dangerous in a way that Toji has encountered in very specific situations and wonders if they’ve met before. Toji would never forget a man like this, however.
“How may I help you, Ryoumen-san?”
“Congratulations on your position, Fushiguro-san. It is inspiring, to say the least.”
Toji chuckles at the polite attempt at flattery. “I wouldn’t recommend it,” he jokes. He’s still sore from the bullet wounds he took to his right shoulder. “But thank you.”
There’s a brief, awkward pause. Ryoumen licks his lips, the only indication of his anxiety, and leans forward slightly, his posture straight but his expression serious and intentional. It forces Toji to uncross his legs, signaling that he is attentive.
“I’d like to be direct, if I may.”
Toji nods in acquiescence. When Ryoumen doesn’t say more, he says, “Feel free.”
“I am interested in your son, Megumi. With your permission, I’d like to meet him with the intention to start a courtship.”
Toji wants to laugh. He really does. But there’s something about Ryoumen that holds him back. The alphas that have asked after Megumi were generally rich and powerful but sleazy, entitled, and demanding, as if they already had permission to talk to Megumi, much less look at him. It grated on Toji’s nerves, and he’s sent a few to the hospital in just the past 4 weeks alone. There were five who were unfortunate enough to approach Megumi on their own and frankly died for it. Several promising alphas that have come through, young, attractive, wealthy, but didn’t give him the sense that they would treasure Megumi as Toji did.
Not to say that Toji will go easy on Ryoumen for being seemingly different.
“I appreciate your inquiry, Ryoumen-san. I know a little of who you are and what you can offer my son, but I don’t know what makes you think you are good enough for him.”
He expects Ryoumen to take offense and become rude, but he seems to take the comment in stride with a wry smile. “That’s fair. I’m asking you for an opportunity to meet with Megumi. He can figure out if I’m good enough for him.”
Toji chuckles, amused and irritated. Who does this bastard think he is? “I can decide both . And don’t talk about my son so casually.”
Ryoumen concedes with a tilt of his head, though doesn’t look at all apologetic. Toji is starting to prefer that the other alpha came in demanding he win Megumi over a fist fight. “May I buy your favor, then? I have something that would be of interest to you, in exchange for time with your son.”
This piques Toji’s curiosity. Ryoumen didn’t come unprepared, it seems. “Oh? What could that possibly be?” After seeking and obtaining his revenge, Toji wanted for nothing else. Sure, he’d like to see that Gojo brat so that he can kick his ass, but other than chasing a few hits of dopamine every now and then, he’s content with his life as the head of the Zen’in clan. He’d like to get Megumi mated, at some point, but there’s no rush for this. An omega of his own might be nice, but after the old man killed off his wife and step daughter, he learned that it's best if he doesn’t have any other sources of weakness. It’s easy enough for him to find a good fuck whenever he wants it.
Toji didn’t notice at first, but he sees sharp, white canines when the other alpha says, “Gojo Satoru.”