Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

"Please don't do this," Kento begged. Satoru frowned. This had always been the plan. He would mark Kento. The omega had agreed - more or less.

"I have to."

They had just gotten the go ahead from Shoko. She had stopped by earlier that day. Kento had woken in a cold sweat. He knew it was coming. He should have protested earlier. He should have done something earlier, but he was a coward. She had checked him over and said the words Kento had been dreading to hear.

He knew better.

"Your mating gland is all healed up."

Except he had let his guard down. The alpha and he were kind of friends now. The alpha wouldn't hurt him. He had trusted the alpha.

"I'll mate him tonight, then, when the pups are asleep."

And the alpha had taken his trust and broken it into a million pieces.

"You don't. I won't leave. You know I won't leave." He wouldn't be able to take care of himself or his sons alone, and he couldn't - wouldn't - leave Yuuta behind, not after he'd gotten so attached.

Satoru knew he wouldn't leave, yes, but he couldn't live like this anymore. Feeling wrong in his own skin, feeling like all of his senses were heightened to a hundred, like he had to be on edge at all times.

He needed to do this.

"Gojo-san, please. I-I can't do this again."

"You agreed."

Kento let out a hysterical laugh. He wasn't serious. Kento didn't have a choice. "Please."

The alpha stalked closer. Kento was flush against the wall staring up at him with wide hazel eyes, almost trying to become one with the wall. Satoru stopped until he was right in front of him.

He should be happy he was just biting him. He wasn't forcing him to have sex, he wasn't mounting him, or forcing him to have Satoru's biological children. He was raising his pups as his own, too. The pups of his greatest enemy at that. All Satoru asked was that he mark him, for his own peace of mind. Nothing else would change.

He leaned in close into Kento's neck, the omega bringing a hand to cover his finally healed scent gland. It was ready for a new mark. The old one had taken ages to heal. Sukuna had been a savage with how he had bitten Kento. Satoru wouldn't do that. He'd break skin, of course, but it wouldn't be as gruesome as what it had once been.

He growled low in his throat, a warning to Kento. The omega froze and he slowly lifted his hand. Satoru ignored the trembling. He chirped now, happy with Kento for having moved his hand.

He nuzzled his neck and opened his mouth. He licked over the scent gland. Kento was quivering under him. There was a hitch in his breath and finally - finally - Satoru sunk his teeth into skin.

There was a soft shout as he broke skin, but he relished in the feeling of blood rushing into his mouth. He felt the bond snap into place. The weight left his shoulders and his head felt clear for the first time in years. He was connected to another person once more.

He licked the wound clean and purred at the new mark - clean and perfect. It would heal nicely. It wasn't the bloodbath that Sukuna had no doubt done to Kento. He nuzzled it once more before pulling back. He frowned when he saw Kento's face, though. He wasn't saying anything. His eyes had closed and silent tears slid down his face.

Satoru reached a hand and gently wiped away the tears. Kento finally opened his eyes and Satoru felt a sucker punch in his gut at the expression in those eyes. Satoru had grown accustomed to those eyes peering gently at their sons. Even sometimes exasperatingly fond at Satoru himself when he was making a fool of himself just to hear their pups laugh. They had been forming a tentative friendship, if nothing else, they had a common goal - they were going to be the best parents they could be.

Satoru hadn't seen this expression on Kento in a long time. And never because of him.

Resignation. Defeat. Despair.

Something ugly stirred in his chest. "Kento -"

Kento gently moved his face from Satoru's hand. Satoru almost wished Kento had smacked it.

"If," a quiet sob that he tried to muffle came out. Kento didn't let that stop him. "If that's all, I'll be taking my leave." Where was he going? It was late, and this was their bedroom.

"Kento," Satoru tried reaching out for him, but Kento was faster.

"Excuse me."

Satoru watched him leave. He was curling in on himself, hugging himself in some poor attempt to sooth himself. His shoulders shook softly. The tears didn't stop. He never looked smaller. Then the door was closed behind him.

Satoru finally gained his bearings and rushed out of the room to find Kento. He was glad the pups were all asleep. It wouldn't do well for them to see their parents at odds.

He found Kento in one of the spare rooms, the door slightly ajar as he was collapsed on the floor in a heap. His face was in his hands as his body shook with his cries. He was still trying to muffle them, but each one was a dagger to the heart.

Satoru's not sure how long he watched him for, but finally, he stopped. He sat up, dried his face, and took several calming breaths. He didn't get up until he was calm.

Satoru ran back to their bedroom hastily, acting as if nothing was wrong as he got ready for bed. Kento entered the bedroom silently and made his way to the dresser where he pulled out his own bedroom attire. He didn't speak. Satoru would have never guessed he had been crying.

He entered their bathroom and came out dressed for bed. The new mark was blatant on his neck. He didn't say a word to Satoru as he climbed into his side of the bed.

Satoru didn't pull him close this time. Allowing him the space he needed. Satoru didn't need his scent anymore either, with the bond now in place. He couldn't stop staring at it. He had needed it, and now, it had never felt so wrong.

Satoru called a meeting with his council members the next day - though that was more a cursory title than actual since Satoru hardly listened to them. He spent most of their meetings rolling his eyes at them, frankly.

Kento sat beside him, hands neatly folded over his knees and head down, mark on display. Satoru would have to train that out of him, but that would be another time.

"Meet Kento Nanami, now Kento Gojo, my new omega." He could have done it better, but he didn't care enough. Yes, he did this to get them off his back, but mostly he did this for his own peace of mind. Since having Kento move in, it's been the best sleep he's had in years. And now that he marked him, his head was clear.

"Sukuna's omega?"

Kento flinched beside him. Small, barely noticeable, to everyone who wasn't him. "And now mine."

"You're not serious."

"Oh, I am." Satoru leaned back, crossing his legs over his chair.

"He could double cross you. He must be loyal to his alpha - the alpha you killed."

Satoru scoffed, "Please don't insult Kento like that again." He leaned forward, a blood thirsty grin on his face. "I did the whole world a favor by removing Sukuna from it. Kento is well aware of this."

Kento, of course, didn't say anything. Deep down, he agreed, though. Sukuna was a terrible evil. He knew that better than anyone.

"That'll be all, gentlemen," Satoru beamed. Kento wanted to snort. That was the shortest meeting ever. When Sukuna made him attend them, they dragged for hours, Kento would either be bored out of mind or humiliated out of his mind as sometimes… sometimes… Never mind. That didn't matter now.

"You should have killed the omega and his pups, too."

Satoru's smile vanished. Gone was the jovial tone of the meeting. He pulled out a knife from God knew where and threw it at whoever made the comment. Kento flinched at the impact.

"I will not hear one bad word about Kento or our pups." He stood and yanked the knife from the man's skull. "Is that clear?" Various nods.

"Great!" He clapped his hands together, "Meeting adjourned."

The men left until it was just Satoru and Kento. Satoru walked over to his new omega and held out his hand. Kento took it and they walked out together.

Only once they were out of view did Kento pull his hand away, not angrily, not aggressively, just away. He took one step to the side, widening the distance between them. His hand wasn't the only thing he kept pulling away.

Satoru hadn't seen Kento in days. If it weren't for their shared quarters, he'd never see him, and even then, Kento never said a word to him, and he always slept with his back to Satoru. Kento wasn't exactly an open book, but Satoru could usually gauge how he was feeling. Now, Satoru couldn't gauge anything.

Even with the bond, he couldn't feel what Kento was feeling. He was shutting him out. He was - he was like a zombie, just going through the motions.

Throughout the day, Kento would be watching their pups, but if Satoru joined them, he'd find an excuse to leave, or sit as far away from him as possible.

He rarely smiled anymore, too.

Kento had been getting better. He was lighter, no longer living with looking over his shoulder, finally trusting that the alpha he lived with wouldn't hurt him. Satoru had seen the way he was coming out of his shell.

He was retreating again.

Satoru couldn't figure out why. Yes, he marked him, and clearly Kento didn't want that, but it hadn't been terrible. They were connected. It was over and done with. And yet… Satoru felt the difference. It wasn't just Kento, either. His family was upset with him?

Haibara didn't say anything, but Satoru saw the murderous glares the other alpha sent him when he thought he wasn't looking. If the younger alpha had wanted Kento, he should have said something earlier. There was no undoing a mark once it's been placed.

Yaga just gave him the most deadpan stare ever when Satoru went to him for advice. That was normal. What had stung was the look of disappointment when Satoru had told him what he'd done. Satoru swallowed his words and left the older alpha's office.

Shoko had been called the morning after to check on the mark. Kento didn't look at her as she checked it, but she could connect the dots. She had glared at Satoru harshly, but stated the mark took and would heal well. Kento had flinched at that.

Wasuke looked shocked and then angry when he saw the mark.

Ijichi, too! His beta butler watched the omega forlornly.

The only ones who weren't upset with him were their pups. Of course, they had no idea what was going on.

"Mama, papa bit you," Choso pointed out, seeing the new mark on Kento. Kento froze from where he had been playing with Yuuji, stuffed toys floating in mid-air. Slowly, the omega retreated into himself.

"He did."

"Does that mean you're his omega now?"

Kento swallowed harshly, "Yes."

Yuuta overhearing immediately ran over, "Does that mean you're my mommy for real?"

Kento softened, "I was always going to be your mother, regardless of the mark or not, Yuuta."

Satoru swallowed dryly.

The distance only grew. Kento didn't speak a word to him, not unless it was related to the boys.

"I don't - I don't know what to do."

Yaga hummed from his desk, not sparing him a glance.

"He won't talk to me." Another hum.

"I don't get it. I'm not like Sukuna - I've never hurt him." Yaga sighed this time, setting the papers he was holding down. "What? I haven't."

"Satoru," Satoru swallowed. He knew this tone of voice well. "I'm on your side. I know what you've endured, but we don't know the details of what Sukuna did to Kento. And I know you're not hurting him, but Satoru… you violated his autonomy. Something that has been done continuously to him."

"He agreed to it!"

A pointed stare, "Satoru."

He collapsed in the seat opposite of him, "Yaga, I was miserable."

"I know that, and I understand. But I also understand him. You know how omegas are treated, and you know what the Ryoumen Clan was like. I can only imagine what he's been through."

Satoru growled, "So, what? I'm the bad guy?"

Yaga glared at him over his glasses, "How old are you? That's not what I'm saying. I understand both of you, but I'm sympathizing with Kento. You got rid of your alpha sickness when you marked him, what did he get out of it? Another shackle."

Satoru swallowed, knowing he was being difficult on purpose, "That's it then?"

Yaga leaned back into his chair, "It can be. Or you can do something about it." Satoru must have looked as lost as he felt because rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Satoru, he stopped being scared of you, he was befriending you. There's something to that. You showed him he was safe here. Do it again, and this time, mean it."

Satoru would do just that. He would show Kento that he was safe. That Satoru would never hurt him, not like Sukuna had. He had the perfect way of going about it.

"Take your clothes off," Kento heard from behind him. Choso was with his tutor, and Yuuta and Yuuji had been put down for their naps. The alpha had called him into their bedroom. Kento assumed it was going to be about the boys. He wasn't expecting this.

"What?"

"You heard me."

So he hadn't misheard, then. The alpha may have bitten him against his will, but he'd never done anything like this. "Now."

Kento sighed. He knew it was too good to be true. He began disrobing. It would be okay. If it was only Kento being hurt, it would be okay. Aside from this, the alpha was a good father to their pups. He never showed any indication that he would hurt them. Both Choso and Yuuji had warmed up to him already. He stood naked in their bedroom. "On the bed."

Kento laid down. The alpha stalked over to the bed. Kento kept his gaze on the ceiling. There was the tiniest crack - only noticed because of the many nights Kento spent awake at night - the only imperfection in such a perfect place. The alpha climbed over him. He knelt between his parted legs. Kento didn't want to look at him, "Look at me."

But what Kento wanted didn't matter. He clenched his jaw but forced himself to meet his eyes. "There you are."

Kento willed the tears away. Crying didn't solve anything. He took a deep breath and forced himself to stay calm. But he was so angry - this alpha made him believe he was safe only to pull the rug out from under him.

"Fight back," the alpha grabbed his wrists and pinned them down beside Kento's head.

"What?"

"Fight back," he leaned into Kento's space, hovering above his mouth.

"No."

"Oh," he smirked, pulling back a little, "so you want this?"

"What I want doesn't matter," Kento turned away and stared out the window. The sky was blue today. That was unfitting.

"If you don't fight back, I will have you."

"Okay."

"Why won't you fight back," he asked.

"If I fight back, I will lose. Better to just get this over with."

A hand grabbed his chin and forced him to face the alpha, "Then scream, shout, call for help."

Kento did glare this time, "And who will help me? Your staff? Your friends? They won't go against you."

"They will."

"They won't."

"How are you sure?"

Kento gaped. This stupid alpha, "Do you think I didn't fight back in the beginning? That I didn't scream?" Kento let out a bitter laugh. "No, Head Alpha Gojo, I learned early on that fighting helps no one. No one is coming to help, no one is going to fight for me, and that it's better to just let it happen. It'll hurt less, and he won't be as angry. Now hurry up."

This time, the alpha was gaping. Then he climbed off Kento. Kento sat up in confusion. It only grew more when the alpha scooped up his clothes and made his way back to him. He handed him the clothes.

"Get dressed."

Kento blinked in shock, but he took the clothes and the alpha moved towards the door. Before he left, though, he turned back around, "Oh, and ask around. You'll find a lot of people who would help you if I ever attacked you." He disappeared.

Kento scoffed, right. He got dressed, though, and exited the room to check on his pups.

From that day forward, the alpha kept pushing him. Cornering him, towering over him, releasing overpowering pheromones. He didn't go as far as telling Kento to get naked again, and making Kento think he would rape him. But Kento didn't understand why he was doing this.

He also didn't ask anyone if they'd help him if the alpha decided to take Kento, but people came up to him anyway.

"I'd pull him off you on the spot," Yuu had promised.

"I'd do anything to help you," Shoko had told him.

"He wouldn't," Yaga swore. "But if he ever did, I'd kill him myself." Kento had blinked in shock at the burly alpha. This man, who loved the alpha dearly, like family. Almost like a father to the alpha - that gave Kento pause.

But still, Kento couldn't take it anymore. He felt like he was suffocating and every time he thought about the mark, he felt his throat close and tears build. He hated this. He hated being an omega. The only good thing about this cursed mark was that the alpha felt more comfortable letting him out.

He had never left the estate before this. The alpha was probably waiting for when Kento couldn't leave. He was trapped, the alpha had no reason to bite him.

Still, he joined Wasuke to buy groceries in the market. It was the first time he had left the estate since coming here. Even when he was still with him, he had never been allowed off the Ryoumen estate. He couldn't remember the last time he had been surrounded by so many people. He had the servants, of course, and they were either kind or indifferent to him, but they had to be there.

Haibara and Kusakabe were with them. Choso and Yuuta couldn't come, as they were with their tutor, so it was only him, Yuuji, and Wasuke. The older beta had been someone Kento had turned to after the alpha marked him.

It had been the morning after and Kento had been so despondent. He hadn't gone to get any of the pups. He hadn't bothered changing. He had gone downstairs and entered the kitchen in a daze.

"Kento?" Kento looked up and slowly blinked at Wasuke. "Kento, what's wrong? Why aren't you dressed?"

Kento snapped out of whatever daze he had been in and bursted into tears. Wasuke had rushed forward and pulled Kento into a hug. "Kento, what's wrong, pup?"

Kento held the beta closer and cried into his shoulder. It had taken ages, but Kento finally calmed down and explained what happened. Wasuke hadn't said a word to the alpha since.

Kento didn't want to be petty, but… it was nice to see someone so vehemently on his side.

They took the carriage to the town, and Kento couldn't shake the anticipation. It was the escape he needed to get away from the alpha.

They arrived at the market, and while Kento had hoped to be able to blend in with the crowd, the two huge alpha guards definitely gave them away. Wasuke didn't let it bother him, he led Kento straight to the produce stands. Kento looked down at Yuuji who was looking at everything in wonder.

Kento smiled at his pup. He gently rubbed their noses together causing his pup to giggle. He walked to stand beside Wasuke, "What would you like?"

"I think I'm going to check out the bakery," Kento said. Wasuke nodded and called Haibara and Kusakabe to help him. He gave Kento a pointed look over his shoulder as the two alphas came to carry the bags. Kento smiled to himself and crept away. He looked at all the stands on his way to the bakery.

He saw some jewelry stands and the butchery. He had never seen so many people before. He was a little overwhelmed. He felt his breathing turn fast as he made it to the bakery. He couldn't move. He heard Yuuji begin to cry and he couldn't move to comfort him. Kento was about to run back to Wasuke when the door opened. He smelled sunflowers.

"Are you alright," a voice asked.

Kento turned back and saw a dark haired omega a couple of years older than him looking at him worriedly. "Come in," the omega opened the door wider. Kento entered and the other omega led him inside. Kento thought the other would just sit him down at a random chair, but he led him to the kitchen and up the stairs. That's where he brought Kento to a couch. Kento sat.

"Does your pup need anything?"

Kento was slowly coming back to himself, he looked down at his wailing baby. He brought him up and finally willed himself to calm down. He released calming pheromones. Yuuji's cries lessened to quiet sniffles. "I'm sorry, honey," he soothed quietly. Yuuji reached a small hand and tapped Kento's cheek. Then Yuuji smiled. Kento smiled back. He lowered him down again and finally met his rescuer.

"Thank you for your help."

The other omega waved him off, "It was no issue. Are you alright now?"

Kento cleared his throat, "Yes, thank you."

"Would you like anything?"

"No, I'm alright." He chewed on his bottom lip. "I actually wanted to look around the bakery."

The other actually seemed to smile a little, "Well, I have a lot of bread here, if you'd like some." The baker left for a bit only to return with a tray of sandwiches and sweet bread. He set it in front of Kento on the small coffee table. He took a seat across from him, "I'm Higuruma Hiromi."

"Kento. It's nice to meet you."

Higuruma raised an eyebrow at the lack of a last name. But Kento wasn't even sure what his last name was anymore. He hadn't been a Nanami in years. He didn't know if he was still considered a Ryoumen since he was dead. Was he a Gojo now? Was that name finally appointed to him now that the Head Alpha had bitten him?

He got nauseous just thinking about it.

"Are you the owner of the bakery?"

Higuruma nodded, "Yes, my father left it to me after his death. I've run it for three years now."

Kento looked down at the bread, it looked good. He grabbed a small finger sandwich and bit into it, only to have his eyes widened, "This is incredible."

Higuruma smiled at him, "Thank you." He grabbed his own and they ate together.

"You're the new Head Omega, right," Higuruma asked, ruining the peace Kento was beginning to feel.

"I -"

"I don't mean to make you uncomfortable. It's just, you came by a carriage with the Gojo Clan crest on it and guards."

Kento swallowed, "I am, yes."

Higuruma smiled softly to himself, "I'm glad. He hasn't been the same since the death of the previous Head Omega. Head Alpha Gojo deserves to be happy." Kento couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"You-You like him?"

Now Higuruma looked shocked, "Yes. Head Alpha Gojo has done so much for omegas since ascending to power ten years ago." That hadn't been what Kento had been taught. That hasn't been what Kento's been experiencing. The Head Alpha had just been another person who used Kento. Maybe not as cruelly or violently, but Kento was still just a means to an end.

Gauging his expression, Higuruma could tell he didn't have the full picture of the situation, which was to be expected. But the joy he had felt when the announcement that Head Alpha had found a new omega was slowly diminishing. He thought Head Alpha had been a decent one. Higuruma sighed, "Do you need help escaping?"

Kento looked up in shock at the other omega. He laughed a little at the absurdity, "No," he eased the baker's worry.

"Is he hurting you?"

Kento sighed, "No." Technically.

"Can I ask -"

Kento shook his head, "Best not to. Keep your image of him as is. I don't want to risk anything getting out and cause some uproar. But he's not hurting me in any way that matters. He is," Kento let out a deep exhale, "not the worst alpha I've had the displeasure of knowing."

"Forgive me, but that means nothing if you're unhappy. We want our Head Omegas to be happy. We all loved Head Omega Suguru before his death. His betrayal hurt us all."

Kento blinked in shock. He was learning so much from this. Was the alpha Gojo a good leader to all? Why was he the exception?

"He marked me against my will." Higuruma froze before him. "He suffers - suffered - from alpha sickness. I smell similar enough to his previous omega's scent. He brought me here against my will, but he hasn't hurt me otherwise. He's a decent father figure to my pups, and while he didn't force me into anything, I am simply a pawn."

Higuruma stood in anger, "Head Omega, you don't deserve that. You - " Kento released more calming pheromones.

"Please. It's been done. If he can be a good leader and ruler to everyone, including other omegas, if he continues to be a good father to our pups, I can bear this." He didn't want to. He hated that he had to. But it was better than what he used to live through everyday. If what Kento was learning was true - that the alpha believed in equality - he could bear the weight of this with as much grace as he could muster.

Higuruma sat down before moving to kneel before Kento. He grabbed his hand and brought it to his forehead. Kento watched in shock. Higuruma stood up again, "You're incredibly selfless, Head Omega Gojo."

"Please, call me Kento."

"Then please call me Hiromi."

A thump was heard and Kento looked over at a fat black cat. "Oh! Who's this," he asked, extending a free hand.

"That's Judgeman."

Kento smiled, "Hello, Judgeman."

On the flip side, Haibara and Kusakabe were losing their minds at having lost Head Omega Gojo. Wasuke had wandered off deeper into the market when the alpha pair had carried his groceries back to the cart. It was getting closer to the time that Head Alpha Gojo was expecting his omega back.

They couldn't track him by scent due to the heaviness of the crowd, and they couldn't spot his blonde hair anywhere, which should have been a dead giveaway since no one had his hair color. But he was nowhere to be found, they hadn't even seen what direction he had gone in.

They were hoping to find him before Head Alpha noticed, but of course that wasn't what happened because Head Alpha appeared before them, smiling widely, "Where are my omega and youngest pup?"

He frowned at the wide-eyed, terrified look his best guards sent him, "Where is he?"

Neither spoke. Satoru stalked forward until he towering over both of them, "Somebody better tell me what is going on."

Kusakabe looked away first, avoiding his eye, "He's missing," he mustered out. Satoru straightened.

"Missing? Where were you?"

"Wasuke asked us to carry some groceries to the cart. When we came back, Kento was gone."

Satoru breathed through his nose. Imbeciles. Kento wouldn't run away, would he? He knew Kento had been upset with him since he marked him, but surely he wouldn't leave their pups behind. Where would he go? He had no friends or family as far as Satoru knew since he never left the estate.

… He wasn't being a very good alpha, was he?

Later. He would focus on that later. Right now, he needed to find Kento. Choso and Yuuta had been getting angsty without their mother around. That was why Satoru had come down to the town to fetch him only to find him missing, possibly run away.

He took a deep breath. He tried to pinpoint Kento's scent, but even he couldn't nail his omega's scent with the number of scents from the crowd. Fuck. "Spread out!" He barked to Kusakabe and Haibara.

Kento, on the other hand, was having a nicer time with Higuruma than he'd had in a long time. Haibara was his personal guard, yes, and he was kind, yes, but he was by all accounts, an employee. Same with Ijichi, Ieiri, Wasuke, Yaga. They were paid to be there. Higuruma would be the first person who technically didn't have to be kind to Kento, but was choosing to do so anyway.

Judgeman sat next to Kento and Yuuji kept staring at the cat with wide eyes. Higuruma kept bringing bread up from his bakery for Kento to try and he was in love. He hadn't been allowed bread when he was at the Ryoumen estate. The alpha never monitored what he ate, but he still hadn't had the chance to partake in his little vice. He remembered how his mother used to bake for him. He swallowed dryly at that. He shook the thought from his head.

"Do you have an alpha," Kento found himself asking.

Hiromi shook his head, "No. I haven't found anyone."

"Would you like one?"

"It sounds nice, sometimes. An alpha who will love me dearly and do his best to protect me from all harm, but I also know that we still have a long way to go as a society." He took a bite of a cookie. "What about you? If you could do things differently?"

Kento pondered for a bit, but in the end, he knew, "If I could change the past, I would choose to never have an alpha. It's-It's never been a good experience for me. I love my children, but…"

Higuruma placed a comforting hand on Kento's knee, "Your previous alpha, he…" Kento nodded.

"It had been an arranged mating. I - he," he choked. "I'm sorry. I can't -"

"No, no. Don't apologize. I'm sorry for pushing."

Kento looked out the window and saw it was past lunchtime. "Oh, no. I should be heading back. I'm late." He stood and Hiromi followed suit. Judgeman jumped down from the couch.

"Of course. I'm sorry for keeping you."

Kento turned to face him, "Please don't apologize. I've had a wonderful time." He bit his lip. "Could I - would it be alright if I…" he trailed off, embarrassed at his own enthusiasm at having maybe made a friend. He was pathetic, wasn't he?

Hiromi smiled at him, "Please. I would love to have you again." This time, Hiromi paused. "May I hug you?"

Kento nodded, feeling bashful. The older omega pulled him in, and Kento sighed in relief. It'd been so long since he had bonded with another omega. He forgot what it had been like to have a friend. He hugged him back with one arm, the other holding Yuuji securely, who was also trying to partake in the hug.

Then the door was being burst down.

Satoru froze at the picture he saw before him. His omega was being held by someone else, someone who wasn't him, and his omega was hugging him back. He saw red. He stormed into the room and grabbed Kento away from the stranger, holding his upper arm tightly.

"What do you think you are doing," he demanded.

Kento stared up at him, in shock, in fear? "What do you mean?"

"You think you can run away? From me?"

Kento could only stare. Run away? What was he talking about? "You give Kusakabe and Haibara the slip and then I find you in the arms of another man," Satoru yelled at him. Kento flinched. He didn't understand what was happening. Satoru had never spoken to him like this before. What had he done wrong?

"Hiromi's an -"

"Oh, it's Hiromi, is it?"

Yuuji started crying between them, and Kento moved to soothe him, but the alpha stopped him, "No." Kento stared up in shock. "Haibara, take Yuuji." Kento's shock turned to horror. Even Haibara was hesitating. Which is also when Kento noticed that Haibara and Kusakabe were also there.

"Head Alpha, maybe we -"

"Haibara, now," the alpha commanded, which only made Yuuji cry harder. Kento clutched him close. Haibara moved forward hesitantly and Kento tried to back away, but the alpha's grip kept him in place. Haibara moved to take Yuuji gently. Kento didn't want to give him away, but Haibara managed to pry him from his arms. Haibara ignored the tears gathering in Kento's eyes.

He choked on a sob as Haibara left the room with his baby. He turned to the alpha, "Why are you doing this?"

Satoru scoffed, "Maybe I've been too lenient, but in case you forgot, it is my mark you bear on your neck," Kento flinched. "You are mine."

"Head Alpha Gojo, I fear there's been a misunderstanding."

Satoru turned his murderous gaze to the other omega. "We will be taking our leave. Consider yourself lucky I don't force your bakery to shut down, Higuruma Hiromi." To Kusakabe, "Cover him up."

Kusakabe grimaced, but wrapped a scarf over Kento's face as silent tears fell. Kento didn't fight back, he didn't raise his head, he accepted it.

Once Kusakabe was done, Satoru brushed past him and Higuruma, pulling Kento along who offered no resistance. Haibara was already on his way back with Wasuke and Yuuji in the other carriage. He pulled him to the cart he had come in and pushed Kento inside who stumbled. He didn't help him sit. He just climbed in after him and watched him stumble his way into his seat.

The ride back to the estate was silent. Satoru couldn't even tell that Kento was still crying.

Satoru pulled him out when they arrived ignoring Yaga's attempts to get him to see reason as he dragged Kento into their bedroom making sure none of the pups could see. He was so angry, and he couldn't figure out why. But seeing Kento in the arms of another man got his blood boiling.

"Take off the scarf," he commanded as he turned to lock the door.

He heard a quiet sniffle, but when he turned back, the scarf was gone. Satoru now had a perfect view of Kento's crying face. Kento never did cry in front of him, not really. He always did his best to hide. But now he was faced with the full brunt of it, and it cracked something in his heart.

"Please don't hurt Hiromi," Kento managed to sob out. "Whatever it was, it was my fault."

And whatever guilt he felt dissipated only to be replaced by anger again. "Whatever it was? Whatever it was?" Satoru stalked closer and gripped Kento's jaw forcing him to meet his eyes. "I should have you whipped for the blatant disregard to my mark." He laughed humorlessly.

"Can you imagine? My omega in the arms of another," he yelled. Kento flinched at the sound, at the anger, in fear.

"It wasn't like that," he begged, holding onto the wrist gripping his face.

"I wonder if I should forbid you from seeing the pups until you learn your lesson," he pondered out loud.

Kento's eyes widened in horror. "Please, no. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," he sobbed. "I'll never go back. I'll-I'll stay here. Please, I'm sorry." He managed to free himself from Satoru's grip and fell to his knees. Satoru watched as Kento bowed his head to the ground while his body was wracked with sobs. The guilt returned. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'll do anything, just please don't take my pups away from me." He looked up and gripped Satoru's robes, "I'll do anything."

That piqued Satoru's interest. "Anything?"

Kento nodded, his grip tightening. "I essentially saw my omega being unfaithful to me. How could you possibly make it up to me?" Satoru didn't mean that, why was he saying that? Kento was on the brink of a heart attack with how hard he was crying and panicking.

Kento pulled back and with trembling hands began disrobing. Satoru's heart lodged in his throat. Wait. Tears kept falling from Kento's cheeks, "Please, this is what you want, right? I won't fight." Kento's upper body was exposed. "Please don't take my pups from me. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Nobody moved. Not until Satoru crouched down and cupped Kento's cheek, far more gentle than he had been all day. "Get dressed," he ordered coldly.

Kento looked up in tentative hope. "You're not allowed to see the pups for the rest of the day, and you're not allowed to leave this room until tomorrow." Only for it to be squandered into tiny shards.

"Please no," but the alpha was already leaving the room.

Kento didn't move from his spot. He just fell in a heap and started crying, hugging his knees to his chest. What had he done wrong? Why was the alpha punishing him? Was he not allowed to have friends? He didn't think he and Hiromi had done anything inappropriate.

Satoru winced as he felt the omega's anguish through the bond. Kento did a good job on keeping a barrier between them, but he couldn't hold any of this in, it seemed. When he walked out of the room, he immediately greeted his pups, telling them their mother was feeling unwell, and that he didn't want either of them to get sick, so it was best to leave him alone.

Both pups nodded in understanding. Satoru smiled at them before turning to face his men. Three horrified faces stared back at him. Haibara looked like he was going to be sick as he continued to hold a crying Yuuji. Kusakabe couldn't meet his eye. Yaga, he looked disappointed.

"Boys, why don't you go play with Ijichi? Papa has to work."

The two boys ran off. Satoru took his crying pup and scented him to calm him down.

"I took a crying baby from his mother," Haibara whispered in horror. "Kento was crying."

Yaga looked ill at what he heard. "Satoru, what did you do?"

"Kento isn't allowed to see the pups until tomorrow."

Yaga's mouth dropped, "You didn't. Tell me you didn't."

"He was in the arms of another man, Yaga. What else was I supposed to do?"

"Hear him out! Ask for an explanation! Not rip his pup from his arms!"

Satoru forced himself to shrug, "It's been done. Now, he'll never do it again."

"I can't listen to this," Haibara said, and left the room. Kusakabe didn't say anything but followed suit. Only Yaga stayed.

"Satoru, you need to have a long talk with yourself and really think about why seeing Kento with someone else made you so mad. You're only going to end up hurting him if you don't wise up." He took Yuuji from his arms. "This isn't how I raised you." Satoru flinched, but Yaga walked away before he could respond.

He checked on Kento periodically and found him where he had left him, still crying. Satoru couldn't stand to watch him for long. Dinner was a sad affair without Kento present and all of the pups felt it. Even Wasuke sent him a dirty look.

He prepared the boys for bed himself, promising them they could see their mother tomorrow when he saw how sad they looked. He should have thought this punishment through. He ended up punishing his pups, too, for something that wasn't their fault. He kissed their foreheads goodnight before walking into his room.

Kento was still on the floor, hugging his knees to his chest with his face buried in them. The food he had sent up for him sat untouched by the door. He gave it to the maid outside. "Get up, it's time for bed."

Kento slowly moved. Satoru watched his sluggish movements. His tears kept falling. Had he been crying this whole time? He changed slower than usual and tried to crawl into bed, but his body gave out on him. Satoru scoffed, "What's wrong with you?" Kento didn't answer.

Satoru dressed for bed and turned off all of the lights before climbing into bed. He let Kento be this night. He fell asleep with a heaviness in his heart as he heard sniffling coming from his omega.

He awoke far earlier than he should have, but the bedroom door had been opened. It was probably one of the pup's. Satoru prepared to soothe whoever had come in, but a terrified voice came from behind him, "Choso, honey, you-you can't be here."

"But mama," Choso sounded so disheartened, "I missed you."

"Me, too," Kento choked out, petrified. "Me, too, baby. But you can't be here."

"Mama," the pup whined.

"Choso, please. Go back to your room."

"Mama, what? I thought - Papa said it was okay."

Satoru could only imagine how confusing this was for his pup. Choso had been told before by Sukuna and Kento that he wasn't allowed in their bedroom. They move here and he got told that he was only to be told again that he wasn't. Kento was just trying to avoid further punishment, Satoru knew, but he didn't need to sound so scared.

"I-I know, but…" Kento was trying to think of an excuse.

"It's fine, Kento," Satoru finally let it be known he was awake. "He can spend the night. Our pups are always welcome here."

That was all Choso needed before he was climbing into their bed. Satoru watched as trembling hands pulled Choso close, "Th-Thank you, alpha."

"Mama, are you crying?"

Satoru sat up, and stared at Kento worriedly. Kento looked mortified at having been caught, "No, honey. I just missed you so much." His arms tightened around his pup, no doubt thinking Satoru would punish him for this. "Go to sleep."

Satoru didn't go back to sleep until Kento's breath evened out. Then he pulled him close.

The next morning found Kento still in bed, which was odd because Satoru would have thought he'd jump at the chance to see the pups again, and also, he always tended to beat Satoru awake. There was a light flush to his face and he appeared to be in pain. Satoru frowned and pressed the back of his palm to his forehead and frowned when he found it was hot.

He cursed under his breath. He picked up a still sleeping Choso. He carried him back to his room and told Ijichi to call for Shoko. He had Wasuke prepare breakfast for the boys who once again ate sadly. Yuuji had to drink from his bottle for the second day in a row. Shoko arrived shortly after and he led her to the bedroom.

She gently shook Kento awake before explaining she would be checking him over. Kento only groaned and mumbled something unintelligible. She took his temperature, listened to his heart, and other things.

"He has a slight fever. It should go away on it's own, but if it doesn't get any better or gets higher by the end of today, call for me. Give him this with food every four hours," she said, handing him a vial.

"What could have caused this?"

Shoko sent him a pointed stare, "From what I understand about what happened yesterday, I think he just worried himself sick."

She took her things and left. Satoru was forced to reckon with what he had done. He had stressed his poor omega out to the point where he developed a fever. Damn it.

He pulled the covers over Kento and left the room to get his breakfast to be able to give Kento his medicine. He greeted his boys while Yaga fed Yuuji. "Boys, mama is still feeling unwell. I'm sure you can see him after breakfast, but he still needs to rest."

Choso looked down, "Is it my fault?"

"No, honey, of course not." It's mine. "Sometimes, people just get sick. Now, enjoy your breakfast. I'll be back soon."

He walked into the kitchen, "Wasuke, I need you to make something light for Kento's breakfast. He's sick."

A hum was his only reply.

Satoru frowned, "Say what you want."

"I've always respected you," the elder started, beginning to cook something else for Kento. "You were kind in your mercy to take me in after you found out who I was. I've always thought of you as kind." He stirred the rice into a soft porridge. "You have never reminded me more of my son than yesterday."

Being slapped would hurt less.

He poured a bowl of the rice porridge and placed it on a tray, "Kento did nothing wrong, and you know it."

Satoru took the tray, "You've gotten brave in your old age."

Wasuke shrugged, "Kento would never forgive you if you killed me."

Satoru scowled, but the old bat was right. Besides, Satoru himself liked him. He was never afraid to call him out. Satoru left and began to walk back to their bedroom. He found Kento trying to stand up. He set the tray down in a hurry and rushed forward. Kento flinched away from him the moment he saw him and Satoru frowned.

Kento hadn't done that since his first month here. Satoru gnawed on his bottom lip. "You have a fever," he admonished softly. "You need to rest." He gently began to push him back into the bed. Kento appeared to be trying hard to fight it.

"My pups, please. I'm sorry. I just want to see them. Please."

"They're coming to see you after breakfast, but you need to eat. You haven't eaten since yesterday. Come on." He moved to stand up but Kento grabbed his wrist, "Do you swear?"

Satoru sighed, sitting down beside Kento once again. "I promise. Now let me get your porridge." He grabbed the tray and set it on Kento's legs, but the omega's hands still shook terribly, so Satoru opted to feed him himself. The omega stared up at him with wide eyes and Satoru was hit with their age gap.

Kento was only around twenty-two years old. Satoru had ten years on him. Kento was so unbelievably young having already been subjected to some of the worst the world had to offer, and Satoru was just adding to it. He had taken his pups from him, for what? Right, being in the arms of another man.

Kento lowered his head and Satoru realized he was releasing angry pheromones. He reeled it in, but Kento didn't raise his head. Satoru sighed softly and reached out a slow hand. Kento's blonde hair was falling into his face and Satoru didn't want to risk dirtying it. His fingers traced the curve of Kento's cheek as he slid a strand behind Kento's ear. "You have to keep eating."

Kento opened his mouth as Satoru brought forward another spoonful.

He and the pups finished their meals around the same time. Just as Kento ate the last spoonful, his two eldest pups were rushing in with Yaga holding baby Yuuji. Kento immediately broke out into a smile seeing them. The boys crawled onto the bed and moved to lay on either side of Kento.

"Mama, I missed you," Yuuta stated, hugging him close.

"Me too, me too," Choso chimed in.

Satoru's heart throbbed, "I missed you both, too," Kento answered in the softest, most heartbroken voice. Yaga didn't greet him, he just walked past him until he stood beside Kento.

"I believe someone else missed you, too," he held out the eleventh month old.

Kento took him in shaking arms, the happiness coming out of him in waves. Yuuji looked in shock at seeing Kento before he burst into tears. Everyone was shocked at that, but Kento merely smiled and adjusted him in his arms. "Shh, it's okay. You're okay, I'm here now," he sang softly to the distraught pup. "Mama's here."

"Mama," Yuuji sobbed. "Mama, mama, mama."

Everyone in the room froze. Kento pulled the pup from his neck, devastated, "Yuuji, you said your first word."

"Yuuji, you talked!" Choso cheered, crowding closer to the pair. Yuuta, not one to be left out, did the same, and now Kento was being held by all three of his pups. He finally laughed. It was like a weight lifted in the room.

Yaga moved to stand beside him, "This is what you're risking. Don't mess it up again." Then he left the room.

But Kento did still need to rest and get better. Satoru was forced to tell everyone to leave. They all stared at him sadly, but understood. He gave Kento his medicine and waited for him to go to sleep before leaving the room to get some work done. He was taken out of his mind when Haibara tapped his shoulder.

"Head Alpha, someone is here to see you. He's waiting for you in your office."

Satoru sighed and handed Yuuji to the other alpha before he made his way to his office and let out a furious growl at who he saw. Higuruma Hiromi fell to his knees at the sheer anger coming off the alpha. "Head Alpha, please."

"What are you doing here?"

"To-To explain," he grit out, trying not to drop at the sheer display of alpha prowess before him. Satoru's furious pheromones were surrounding him like a scalding fire. "Kento deserves better than you!"

Satoru stopped. "What?"

Higuruma let out a deep breath as the tension left his body. He took his time gathering his bearings, but he finally did, and Satoru was forced to listen to what had actually conspired yesterday, of what Kento was feeling, and how selfless he was. He sighed.

"He needs a friend, and not just someone from here. Omegas need other omegas for companionship."

Satoru did know that. He did. He was failing Kento spectacularly.

"That was all I wanted to say."

Then Higuruma was gone.

Satoru was forced to reckon with his actions. He watched over Kento as he healed from his fever that Satoru had caused. But seeing the pups seemed to have helped. When Satoru took his temperature again that night, his fever had lessened. By the third day, his fever was gone. Satoru knew because on the fourth day, he woke up to an empty bed.

He was supposed to be bridging the gap between them once more, and it seemed like all he was doing was widening it. He needed to show Kento that he could trust him again. He needed Kento to know that if he said stop, he would.

Kento was hoping to unwind from the emotional turmoil of the last few days and his fever.

Like now, Yuuta and Choso were having a snack while Yuuji napped. Kento had the rare time to himself, and of course, the alpha had to ruin it.

He was in the omega and pup nesting room. So why, while Kento was reading, did the alpha enter? His back straightened the moment he scented ozone. He snapped his head over to the alpha's looming form in the doorway. What was he doing here? Alphas weren't allowed in this room. But the alpha didn't seem to care.

He stepped forward. Kento willed himself to not move, but his skin prickled with discomfort. He needed the alpha to move away, to leave. But… he didn't have the right to say that. So, he stayed put.

The alpha stopped in front of him and snatched the book from his hands, tossing it off to the side. Kento tried not to clench his jaw in frustration.

"Is something wrong," the alpha leered.

Kento ignored him as he stood. He picked up his book and moved to leave the nesting room. He brushed past the alpha, but just as he reached the door, a strong hand grasped his wrist. He was pushed against the wall as the alpha towered over him. He pressed his body close to Kento's, every inch of his body now touching his. Kento couldn't do anything but breathe him in.

"Where are you going," he teased. Kento didn't answer. "Come on, Kento."

The alpha pressed closer until Kento was flush against the wall and him.

"Tell me to leave. Yell at me for invading the pup nest. Push me off." Kento, of course, did none of that. The alpha lowered his head to Kento's scent gland where his mark lay and took a deep inhale. Kento clenched his eyes shut.

But they burst open in shock as he gasped when he felt the alpha rut his hard member against his stomach. Kento couldn't have held back what his body did, even if he had tried. One second, the alpha was up against him. The next, he was a step away, smirking at Kento. Kento who could only stare in horror at what he had done, what he had felt.

"There you are," the alpha grinned, maniacal. "I knew you had it in you."

Kento felt the tears gather in his eyes, "Why are you doing this?"

"Because you're faking - you're pretending to be okay with-with everything."

Kento didn't move, glaring at him through his tears, "I'm not pretending. I'm not okay with what happened to me."

The alpha grinned maniacally once more, "Then act like it. I'm so sick of this-this martyrdom."

Kento couldn't believe what he was hearing. Kento was a ticking time bomb, and the alpha kept pushing. Kento finally had enough.

"Don't you get it," he finally screamed. "I don't get to be angry. I'm an omega. I don't get to act like anything but perfect." The alpha's grin widened. "You don't think I'm angry? I'm furious and mad and frustrated and just - sad." Tears started falling. He hadn't even realized how much. "I didn't want what happened to me - I can barely look at myself. My children - they carry his face and I can't even say anything!"

He took a shuddering breath, "I hate what happened to me, but I don't get to say that. Omegas don't get to feel anything but happy." The alpha stepped toward him until they were chest to chest. Kento could barely make him out through his tears.

"My omega does."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. The alpha wasn't serious.

Kento gaped, "You've been assaulting me to prove that I was safe." He didn't know what to say, but something broke in and the dam started flooding his very being. The tears started falling faster.

"I hate you! I hate you! I hate you. I hate him for what he did to me, and I hate you for forcing me to bear another alpha's mark again! I wish you had just killed me instead of having to live with yet another alpha who has no respect for me and only keeps me around for what I can do for him."

Kento was hitting the alpha's chest as the words spilled out of him, having dropped the book somewhere in the process. Everything he kept buried.

Kento ripped himself away from the alpha, glaring at the alpha through his tears, "At least with Sukuna, I knew where I stood. I knew exactly what he thought of me. You, on the other hand, have played me for a fool long enough."

This wasn't how it was supposed to go. The alpha's mouth dropped, "Kento -"

"You let me believe I was safe here, and I fell for it."

"You are!"

"I'm not!" He took a shuddering breath. "You bit me against my will, accosted me for hugging a friend, forbade me from seeing my pups, and keep-keep..." He laughed bitterly, "Tell me, does that sound like safety to you?" Kento picked up his book once again and hugged it close to his chest, closing in on himself.

"You might as well fuck me and get it over with since that's all you have over Sukuna at this point."

Satoru flinched as if slapped. Kento left.

Satoru was left alone with his thoughts and realized something horrible in that exact moment.

He really fucked up this time.

Kento entered a random room and broke down into tears. The sobs wracked his body and he was worried somebody would hear him, especially the pups. They couldn't see him like this.

But the tears wouldn't stop coming. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be all he was meant for. To be used and abused by alphas that society deemed better solely because they had knots. This couldn't be it.

He thought he had escaped abuse. Sukuna had been a monster who enjoyed hurting Kento at every turn. But the alpha… Kento shuddered. He was worse.

He was worse because he let Kento think he was different.

He forced himself to stand up and walk to the nearest bathroom. He needed to clean himself up. The pups would ask questions if they saw him like this. Hopefully, he didn't run into anyone.

But of course, since he was the universe's laughing stock, that didn't happen.

"Kento? Kento, what's wrong," Yaga asked, rushing to his side. Kento sidestepped him and the alpha looked shocked.

"Please go to him for any questions you may have. I would like to be left alone for the rest of the evening."

Kento walked away swiftly. He didn't want to see the alpha's confused face. He didn't want to see any alpha right now, actually.

Yaga watched him leave and rushed into the omega nesting room, he saw Satoru. He wasn't supposed to be in here. Yaga got a sinking feeling in his chest. Satoru stood there frozen like a statue, face contorted into horror.

Yaga mirrored it, "What did you do?"

Satoru looked gutted when he answered, "I fucked up."

That night, Kento didn't come to bed. Satoru went looking for him and found him in a spare bedroom already dressed and ready for bed. "Kento, come on."

Kento jumped at his voice and stuck himself to the wall, and spoke up with a voice he desperately tried to keep strong, "I'm sleeping here tonight."

Satoru sighed, "You can't be serious."

"I am."

He pinched the bridge of his nose, "You're being immature."

Kento glared at him, indignant, "Immature? Forgive me if I don't want to sleep next to the man who keeps assaulting me."

Satoru flinched. Kento was right. And if he did what he wanted and just picked Kento up and carried him into their bedroom, he'd be proving it even more.

"Just for tonight."

Then he left.

~

Kento found himself at another meeting for the Gojo Clan. Like always, he kept his head bowed. The alpha sat proudly - and forlornly - next to him. He wouldn't stop side-eying Kento.

"Has your son started his preparation lessons for leading the Gojo Clan," a council member asked.

"Which one," the alpha asked, but there was something testy hidden in his usual jovial tone.

"Your only son," the council member asked. The alpha leaned forward.

"I have three sons." Kento felt the corner of his lips turn upward.

"R-Right, but the legitimate one."

The other council members could see the beta was digging himself into a deep, deep hole. They were all pointedly looking away.

"They're all legitimate."

"Of course," the beta finally registered the tone.

The alpha grinned, "Good." He leaned back, "Choso is my eldest, so if he wants it, it's his."

"You're not serious," another member spoke up.

"Is there a problem," the alpha stared him down.

"He's not a Gojo!"

The alpha frowned, "Yaga, am I mistaken or is my son's name not Choso Gojo?"

The burly alpha sighed from behind the alpha, "You're not mistaken."

"Oh, for the love of - Yuuta, your biological son! He should be preparing to take over."

The alpha stared at the beta before standing slowly. He walked over to the man. In the blink of an eye, he was stabbing a dagger into the beta's thigh. Kento flinched as the man screamed. The alpha leaned into the man's screaming face.

"Let me make something abundantly clear," he spoke coldly. "I will not hear one negative word about my sons - all three of them. Am I understood?"

The man kept screaming, but the other council members nodded hastily.

"Good, let this be the last time I warn you." He took his seat beside Kento once again. "Will there be anything else?"

"Do we have any leads on Sukuna's," Kento flinched. The alpha placed a hand on his thigh, Kento wanted to push it off. He wouldn't fall for the alpha's fake kindness again, "right hand man?"

"Yaga," the alpha asked.

"Not yet. Mei Mei's still looking."

No one said anything after that.

"If that's all, meeting adjourned."

The council members filed out. When the last one left, the alpha turned to Kento, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"Kento -"

"I said I was fine."

The alpha didn't look convinced, but he acquiesced, "Very well. Let's go find our pups." He stood and held out his hand to Kento. Kento ignored it and stood up on his own.

He walked out of the meeting room leaving Satoru to watch his retreating form. Wisely, Yaga didn't comment and left the room, too. Satoru sighed. He really fucked it all up. And it looked like everyone had picked a side, and it wasn't his.

Kento didn't even realize the army he had rallying behind him. He sighed.

"Kusakabe?"

"Yes, sir," the alpha asked from beside him.

"Fetch Higuruma Hiromi and bring here."

Kusakabe gave him a confused look, "Can I ask why?"

Satoru sighed, "Kento needs a friend who also isn't my employee."

The alpha blinked in shock, but internally, he was cheering, "Of course. I'll go get him now."

Kusakabe would normally detest being sent off like some errand boy, but anything to fix the mess that Head Alpha had made. He liked Kento well enough. In fact, he might be everyone's favorite person in the whole estate, aside from the pups, of course.

His coming here had brightened the whole place up. He brought back a light that hadn't been there in a long time - probably brighter than it had ever been. And now, the whole place was dimming once more.

The bakery was fuller today than it had been that day.

Hiromi couldn't help but think about their new Head Omega. He had looked so sad as he told Hiromi what he could muster. Then he had looked so scared when Head Alpha Gojo had appeared so suddenly, and so angry.

He couldn't get it out of his head.

Head Alpha Gojo had never been this cruel before. From what Hiromi could recall of the previous Head Omega, Head Alpha Gojo had never treated him so angrily. He had worshiped the ground the other omega walked on. He sighed. Head Omega Gojo deserved better.

How had he and Head Alpha met?

He heard the bell ring, signaling someone entering his bakery, "Hello. Welcome to Sunflower Bakery." He paused when he saw the tall alpha. He worked for their Head Alpha. Hiromi hadn't really noticed him before aside from him being a coward who stood by and did nothing while an omega was being abused before him.

"What can I get for you," he asked instead of causing a scene.

"I actually hoped to speak with you privately."

Hiromi frowned, "I close in an hour."

"I'll wait. Could I get a cheese roll?"

Hiromi grabbed one and served it. He told him the price. The alpha took a seat while Hiromi dealt with his customers, until it was time to close. Hiromi made sure to take his sweet time. The alpha couldn't have come with anything good. But, unfortunately, he had to finish eventually.

"We can talk upstairs," he gestured for the alpha to follow him. He led him up the stairs where he just pointed to his couch. The alpha sat down.

"What does Head Alpha want?"

"When would you be able to visit the estate?"

Hiromi frowned, thinking back to when Head Alpha had swarmed him with tons of angry ozone pheromones, "Why?"

The alpha pursed his lips as if he had sucked on a lemon, "Head Alpha Gojo realized that Kento needs… friends."

Hiromi's eyes widened, "I'll be there this weekend."

Kusakabe nodded and went back to the estate. He wished he hadn't. Head Alpha was looking like a sad puppy as the Head Omega was lulling Yuuji to sleep. Why did he go upstairs again? Right, to tell Head Alpha what Higuruma said. And now he had to witness this. The omega kept sidestepping the alpha as he kept trying to get the pup to sleep.

When he did and put the pup in his crib, the alpha crowded him and the omega only glared up at him and moved to walk around him. Head Omega Gojo couldn't even stomach being around the alpha. Kusakabe sighed, which got both of their attentions. Kento nodded at him before leaving the nursery.

Head Alpha Gojo looked like a kicked puppy as the omega left. Kusakabe couldn't recall the last time he expressed so much emotion before, it had to have been when the old Head Omega was alive… Kusakabe's eyes widened.

"What did he say," Satoru asked, pulling Atsuya from his train of thought. He cleared his throat.

"He said he'd come this weekend."

Satoru nodded and left the nursery after one last cursory look at Yuuji. Atsuya hurried off to talk to someone - anyone - about what he was thinking.

~

Kento was baking with Yuuta and Choso's help. Wasuke was holding Yuuji. Since speaking his first word, Yuuji had been saying it on repeat. Kento smiled as he heard the pup call for him. Anytime he turned to smile at the pup, Yuuji would squeal in happiness. Kento let the peace of the moment wash over him.

Then the alpha walked in.

He didn't bother greeting him. He turned back to the dough. The alpha's smile dimmed at the blatant disregard. Yuuta didn't run up to him, either. The alpha paused and noticed how his eldest pups stayed by Kento's side, eying him warily. The alpha froze. His pups… He couldn't see Kento's face, but Kento was just as shocked.

Then the guilt came.

His pups shouldn't be upset with their father just because he was.

This was their argument, not the family's.

He bit his lip and sighed internally, "Alpha, I'm so glad you could join us. We're baking banana bread." The pups' moods lifted and that made everything worth it. The pups rushed over to their father, pulling him by the hands further into the kitchen. It took everything in Kento not to flinch away.

Kento did his best to be cordial, to not show how discontented he was, how terrified he was.

But it worked. He talked with him, smiled at him, and included him in the baking. All throughout the rest of the day, Kento was kind to him. It transferred over to the pups as well, they were comfortable with their father. Kento didn't want to take that away from them.

His plan worked a little too well because when they were alone in the sanctity of their bedroom, the alpha tried to pull him close only for Kento to pull away hastily, "What are you doing," he demanded - that was a lie, his voice trembled.

The alpha sent him a sad, confused look, "I thought - you - we were getting along."

Kento sighed and sat at the edge of the bed, hugging himself, "Me being upset with you is spilling over to the pups. I-I don't want them mad at you just because I am."

Satoru stepped away and clenched his fists. There Kento went again, being selfless, being a martyr, swallowing down his emotions to protect others around him. He could have turned the pups against him, he was already doing it subconsciously, but the moment he realized, he put a stop to it. Satoru didn't deserve his kindness.

Kento gave it anyway.

He wanted to punch something, to scream, to shout, to hurl things around. Why? Why was Kento doing this? Why was he making this difficult? Why was Satoru so angry? Kento was doing him a favor. He should be glad.

"Will you ever forgive me," the words escaped quiet, but sincere.

Kento halted his movements. He lowered the garment he was holding in his arms and released a deep breath, meeting Satoru's eyes, "I don't know."

Satoru nodded and turned away. Getting ready for bed was a quiet affair.

Kento woke to the sun shining on his face and the alpha draped over him. He pushed him off gently, not wanting to wake him and began to get ready for the day when he looked out the window. It had snowed! It was still snowing. The first snow of the year.

He bit his lip, shooting one glance at the alpha before scurrying off. The pups were most likely still sleeping, and if they needed anything, they could wake their father. He didn't bother changing or putting on more layers, he wouldn't be out for long. He ran past the servants, asking them not to tell the others where he was, not unless it was an emergency.

He ran to the kitchen hastily greeting Wasuke who merely raised an eyebrow at his energy so early in the morning. He chose the kitchen exit for a reason - privacy.

He stepped out and smiled at the cold air. Goosebumps erupted on his skin, but he didn't care. He'd always preferred summer - his one dream was to one day visit a beach. He'd read about them plenty - but he never let him out during winter. Kento never figured out why, but he wasn't naive enough to assume it was something as humane as care.

He felt the snow fall around him before tilting his head back and letting the snowflakes fall on his face. He fell back onto the snow, letting it seep into his clothes. He smiled.

Satoru frowned when he noticed that they were almost done with breakfast and Kento was nowhere to be found. Kento didn't miss mealtimes with the family, even when angry with Satoru.

Yaga sent him a pointed look over the rim of his glass that Satoru was pointedly ignoring as he wiped Choso's breakfast from his face. Yaga was helping Yuuta eat. Yuuji sat in his high chair. Normally Kento would be feeding him, or helping him eat. This time, Wasuke was the one feeding Yuuji his eggs. The pup was happily eating, though.

Yaga wouldn't stop trying to meet his eye. Satoru huffed, "Fine. Haibara, could you help Choso finish eating?"

"Sure."

Satoru stood, placing a kiss on each pup's forehead before leaving to find Kento. He asked Ijichi, who told him to check with Kusakabe. He found the other alpha staring out at the garden.

"Have you seen Kento?"

The other alpha pointed out the door. Satoru moved his gaze to where Kusakabe was pointing, and finally saw. Kento laid in the snow, arms splayed out around him. He was staring up at the falling snow and scrunching his nose cutely when snowflakes landed on it. He looked… happy.

How he wasn't cold, Satoru didn't know. Especially when he noticed what Kento was wearing. His sleeping robes, sheer, thin, as in, not warm. And many servants were staring, including Kusakabe. Satoru growled low in his throat, and Kusakabe averted his gaze, "I was just making sure nothing happened."

Satoru knew that was most likely the case, but he still didn't like it. Kusakabe walked off. Satoru turned back to his omega. He looked so at peace.

"Kento," he called when he saw more servants gathering on the second floor. The omega jumped and sat up. "You shouldn't be out here dressed like that." Satoru rushed over and pulled him up to a standing position.

"Alpha -"

"Anyone could see you." He was trying not to get angry. He really was. "You're mine, remember? No one else can see you like this."

Kento lowered his gaze, his bottom lip trembling before he bit it and Satoru's heart constricted, "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking." Only to twist more at the dejected look on Kento's face. A stark contrast to the happiness he had been emitting before Satoru showed up. It tugged at his heartstrings.

"It's okay," he sighed. He removed his outer layer and shivered at the cold, but draped it over Kento's shoulders. Kento looked up in shock, hands moving to hold the robe in place. "I just don't want you catching a cold. Please wear more layers next time."

"I-I can keep going outside?"

"Of course you can. Why wouldn't you be able to?"

Kento lowered his head again, "Last time I acted out of turn, you took my pups from me. I figured this would be something similar."

Satoru swallowed at the bitter reminder of what he had done, of what he keeps doing. He couldn't refute it. So he didn't, "Let's go. You still need to eat."

He grabbed Kento's wrist gently, giving him the chance to pull away but the omega only watched him curiously. He moved to stand beside him and place his other hand at his waist. Kento jumped, but didn't move.

Satoru began leading him to the dining room. Yaga and Haibara watched the pups while Satoru sat next to Kento as he ate his breakfast. He would have stayed beside him the rest of the day, too, if he could have, but he had work. So he bid Kento and the pups goodbye and went into his office with Yaga.

"Alright, hit me with it," he said, cracking his knuckles as he sat down. Yaga began rattling off what needed to get done.

"The Inumaki Clan is getting close to the Kamo Clan."

Satoru hummed.

"The new Head of the Abe Clan just had his first pup with his mate."

"Congratulations! I love pups. We'll send him something nice." Yaga jotted something down.

"The Fujiwara Clan is inching closer to what used to be the Ryoumen Clan."

Satoru sighed, leaning forward, "They do know the old Ryoumen Clan is now under my protectionand is officially part of the Gojo Clan now, right?"

"That had been made clear in the official notices you sent out after killing Ryoumen Sukuna." Satoru growled.

"Send out some men to the borders of the Ryoumen Clan. I doubt the Fujiwara Clan will engage, but if they do, the men have permission to strike." Yaga nodded. "Anything else?"

Yaga winced, and Satoru sat up straighter, "Yes?"

"The Zenin Clan has invited the entire family to attend a wedding."

Satoru groaned, "How can I get out of it?"

"You can't."

Satoru buried his face in his hands, "Yaga -"

"I'm serious. It's a wedding. We have nothing going on. And we need to build a good relationship with them. This will help."

"Fuck!" He leaned back against his chair, "When's the wedding?"

"Next month."

"Who's getting married?"

"Toji Zenin."

Satoru's eyes widened, "The disappointment? Why on earth are the Zenin's celebrating him?"

"I don't know. But it's his wedding."

Satoru hated the Zenin Clan more than he hated any of the other Clans, even Sukuna's. He erased the thought from his head. He needed to prepare the estate for Higuruma's visit tomorrow.

Kento was in his omega nest. He hadn't been back since the incident, but the alpha's scent was finally gone. The alpha told him to take the day for himself. That he'd watch the pups for the day. Kento hadn't trusted it.

Immediately on edge, "What did I do wrong," he asked, worriedly.

"Nothing," the alpha answered, shocked.

"Then why are you taking my pups from me again?"

The alpha sighed, kneeling before Kento, and took his hands in his own, "Kento, I will never take our pups away from you again. I only mean to give you the day to yourself."

"I-I don't believe you."

Kento wanted to take the words back at the alpha's heartbroken expression.

"That's okay," the alpha answered instead. "But I still promise. Take the day for yourself. I'll be in the living room or nesting room if you want to join us."

The alpha had stood and left their bedroom. Kento bit his lip, contemplating, before eventually deciding to try to take the alpha up on his offer. He went to the kitchen and made himself something light before carrying it to his nesting room. He grabbed a book and relaxed… or, he tried.

He couldn't relax.

He kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. Only, it didn't. A while passed, and nothing happened. The tension left his shoulders and he leaned back into the pillows of the nest. Then his door was opening.

He stood up hastily, heart pounding in his chest. He knew it. The alpha wasn't to be trusted. Not again.

Except… it wasn't the alpha at the doorway. It was someone else. Someone worse. Kento's eyes widened, "Hiromi?" The horror crept into his voice, "What are you - you shouldn't - you need to leave before the alpha finds out!" Kento ran forward.

"Kento, it's okay," Hiromi stepped forward. Kento met him under the door frame. The alpha was also there.

"I invited him."

Kento blinked, "You - why?"

The alpha stepped forward and Kento took one back, "The way I acted at the market was disgraceful. I let my anger blind me from the fact that you need friends, people in your corner not connected to me." Kento was dumbstruck. "I need to go now. I told Yaga I'd only be gone five minutes." Then he walked off.

Higuruma smiled at him, "So, what would you like to do?"

Kento gathered his thoughts, "I'm not sure. I've never really had a friend before."

Higuruma looked shocked before schooling his features, "We don't have to do anything - we could just exist next to each other."

"Okay."

That's what they did. Kento allowed Hiromi into his nest where Hiromi asked to scent it. Kento allowed it. Then, they did nothing but exist next to each other. They read books next to each other. Wasuke brought them lunch at the behest of the alpha. They ate together.

Kento couldn't remember the last time he'd had that much fun.

"Next time, let's do something in town," Hiromi said, as they arrived at the front door of the estate.

"I'll ask," is what Kento offered hesitantly.

Hiromi nodded, and hugged Kento goodbye, "I'll be back next Sunday."

"I'm looking forward to it."

Kento joined his pups and the alpha in the living room. "Mama!" All three pups toddled over and hugged his legs.

"Hi, boys."

The alpha stood from where he had been sitting on the floor, "Higuruma left?"

"Yes," Kento answered, moving further into the room. "He said he'd come back next Sunday," he answered, guardedly.

The alpha smiled, "I'm glad."

The smile looked genuine. It seemed sincere and kind, and before - before Kento wore the alpha's mark, before he was bitten against his will - he would have believed it.

He wouldn't be falling for it again.