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Megumi Fushiguro had a good life. He didn’t want for anything. He had a mate that loved him, cherished him, actually. Had someone told Megumi when he was six years old and being abandoned by his own father that this would be the life he would have, he would’ve laughed in their face.
Being abandoned was what he was meant for. His mother died when he was young, he’d never really known her, and his father had been so lost in his grief that he was never around for his only son. People didn’t stick around in Megumi’s life. They came and they went. Again and again, like a vicious cycle.
That all changed when he met Sukuna. Megumi had been working the night shift at a dingy convenience store. The pay he got was barely enough to make ends meet and he had to deal with the shitty customers that stumbled in at all hours of the night. Working the counter for the graveyard shift as an omega was dangerous but the bills needed to be paid and Megumi had gotten a night premium for working those hours. He could handle a few lewd comments from drunk or high customers.
It was just the life he’d been dealt with. No one ever said life was fair after all.
It had been a cold, rainy fall evening when he met him. There had been another customer, drunk off his ass and barely coherent enough to make the disgusting comment about showing Megumi a good time in the back. Megumi had blown him off, ignored him, but as he reached for the Alpha’s things to ring out, the man had wrapped his fingers tight around Megumi’s narrow wrist. Megumi had told him to let go but the Alpha only had tightened his grip. He had just been reaching for the small canister of pepper spray he kept under the counter when the Alpha was suddenly jerked away and tossed to the ground.
“He told you to let go,” Sukuna had growled at the cowering Alpha. There was no doubt that Sukuna had been the dominant Alpha between the two. With shoulders as wide as a damn truck and tall enough that even Megumi had to tilt his head back to look up at him. Drops of water fell from light pink locks and the bold face tattoos somehow only made him appear more handsome.
The cowardly, drunk Alpha sputtered incoherently as he’d scrambled from the dirty floor. He had raced out of the store and into the stormy night, leaving Megumi alone with the larger Alpha.
Megumi remembered how Sukuna had turned to face him. He’d asked if Megumi was alright and when Megumi confirmed he was, he’d nodded. Sukuna introduced himself and had boldly asked if Megumi would join him for dinner sometime.
Megumi turned him down. He turned him down the next time and the time after that as well. Sukuna never pushed but insisted he was a patient man and would wait for Megumi. And, waited he did. It was well into winter, a few inches of snow had covered the ground when Megumi finally had given in and agreed to a date.
That had been five years ago. Now, they were happily mated and lived together in Sukuna’s big house. Megumi no longer worked at that dingy little convenience store. He didn’t work at all, actually. He had hobbies, he went for a jog every morning, and volunteered at the animal shelter. He had time to actually live since he was no longer too busy just trying to survive. Megumi was happy.
He didn’t think anyone could ruin what he had now. Sukuna had pulled him from the endless muck that had been his life and had given him something Megumi never thought he’d get in life; and that was to be loved. It felt nice to be cherished, to know that his life meant something to someone else.
It was a sunny day when everything Megumi had thought he’d known about his life was violently ripped from under his feet. Megumi was reading a novel he’d recently purchased, curled up on their sofa, when he heard the front door open and then slam shut. Frowning in concern, Megumi slipped his bookmark between the two pages and carefully closed the book. He stood up just as Sukuna walked into the living area, his heavy footsteps insistent with whatever mission he was currently focused on.
“Pack up some things, Megumi,” Sukuna said as he approached his mate. Megumi could smell the bitter tang of stress exuding off his normally cool and collected mate. “We’re going on an . . . extended trip. Now.”
Megumi blinked once and then again, “a trip? Sukuna, what’s going on?”
Sukuna put his hands on Megumi’s shoulders. They easily curled over them and Megumi had to tip his head back just to be able to meet the man’s eyes. “I know this is confusing and I promise to explain things later. But, right now, my treasure, I need you to listen to me. We don’t have a lot of time, okay?”
Megumi could hear his heart pounding in his ears. He swallowed down his nervousness. This wasn’t a joke. One look into Sukuna’s eyes and Megumi knew he was serious. He nodded once and asked softly, “how long are we leaving for?”
“A while,” was Sukuna’s response.
A million scenarios rushed through Megumi’s mind as he packed his bags. Everything from a bad gambling debt to witness protection. Obviously, Sukuna felt it wasn’t safe to stay in their home. Megumi trusted his mate and knew Sukuna wouldn’t do something so drastic unless the situation called for it. However, that did nothing to soothe Megumi’s concerns. Why were they running? Where were they running to? Sukuna couldn’t answer any of those questions as he, too, was busy packing up his belongings. He’d also been on the phone pretty much nonstop. Megumi could hear as he called multiple people.
“ . . . yeah, get the jet ready.” Sukuna’s voice carried down the hall from his office to where Megumi was as he put clothes for both him and Sukuna in a suitcase. “I don’t care that it normally takes two hours to prepare. You have thirty minutes.” Megumi had never heard his mate so stressed and it made his nerves skyrocket even more. What was going on? What had pushed Sukuna to leave town on such a short notice?
Megumi looked around the bedroom he shared with the Alpha. Sukuna’s warning that they’d be going out of town for a while repeated again and again. He packed some of his precious trinkets, such as the only picture he had of his mother and father. It was a picture that had been taken when he was an infant, before his mother passed and his father was lost to his grief and insanity. He also made sure to grab the album from his and Sukuna’s wedding. It was thin but held pictures of memories he didn’t want to lose, so it was shoved carefully into one of the suitcases as well.
By the time Megumi had finished packing, Sukuna was left pacing anxiously by the front door. He kept looking outside as if he expected trouble to come pulling up at any minute.
He must’ve heard his mate approach because Sukuna turned and said, “all done?”
Megumi nodded as Sukuna reached out to grab the two full suitcases. Normally, when going on vacation Sukuna would tease Megumi about how much he packed but there was no teasing this time. He hefted the heavy luggage and they stepped out the front door towards Sukuna’s vehicle. Megumi wanted, again, to ask what was going on? What had spooked Sukuna so much that they were leaving everything behind?
Sukuna glanced over his shoulder as he opened the trunk to the car. “I know this is all very confusing, my treasure, but please know I will explain everything when we get somewhere safe.”
Somewhere safe?
The words echoed in Megumi’s mind as he got into the passenger seat and buckled up. He thought their home was somewhere safe. When Sukuna got behind the wheel and started the car, the anxious, bitter scent he gave off filled the car. Megumi shifted uncomfortably and his own scent matched that of his mate’s.
Sukuna reached out and placed his hand over Megumi’s. His eyes focused on the road while he gave Megumi a reassuring squeeze. Megumi’s eyes glanced out the window, watching as the city he’d been born and raised in passed by in a blur. He didn’t know why but he had a feeling it would be a long time - - if ever, that he got to set foot inside it again.
Finally, they made it to the airport where Sukuna had his personal jet. He pulled in through the gate that was manned by a security guard. In the distance, Megumi could make out the jet he’d been on many times before already on the tarmac. It seemed that the pilot and crew had taken Sukuna’s orders to get the jet ready as soon as possible to heart.
Megumi turned his head to look at Sukuna and he could see the Alpha glancing behind them in the rearview mirror. Once satisfied there was no one behind them, he continued driving closer to the jet.
Sukuna stopped the car and got out. Their luggage was already being removed from the trunk and stored onto the plane. By the time Megumi stepped out of the car, Sukuna was already talking with the pilot. It was a quick conversation before Sukuna nodded sharply and turned back to his mate.
He wrapped an arm around Megumi’s lower back. “C’mon, let’s get on the plane. We should be taking off in ten or so minutes. They just have to finish fueling the jet up.”
As they approached the small, luxurious jet, Megumi tipped his head back to look at Sukuna’s face. “When are you going to explain to me what the hell is going on?”
Sukuna sighed, heavy and exhausted, “I promise, Megumi, I’ll tell you everything. I just want to make sure we’re safe first.”
They stepped up the stairs and boarded the jet. The upholstery was soft white leather. Usually, when they took the jet anywhere, there was a flight attendant on board and ready with some champagne. There was no flight attendant this time. Megumi frowned and recalled how Sukuna had urged the person on the phone to get the jet ready for take off in a much shorter time than usual.
They were on the run. That much was obvious to Megumi. With how Sukuna was behaving and the urgency at which they were trying to leave, Megumi could only guess they didn’t have a lot of time to leave the city.
“Let’s have a seat, yes?” Sukuna’s large hand rested at the small of Megumi’s back. He guided him to sit down and Megumi went along with it. He desperately wanted to know what was going on. He didn’t appreciate being left in the dark. No matter what had happened, Sukuna hadn’t told Megumi and that realization stung. They told each other everything. At least, Megumi thought they did.
Within ten minutes they were taking off. Sukuna had hardly said anything to Megumi as they waited. The Alpha was mostly glued to his phone, calling or texting, everything he did seemed to have a sense of urgency. The anticipation of finding out what was going on was making Megumi’s skin crawl. He glanced out the window as the plane started down the runway. His stomach lurched slightly as it did everytime the plane left the ground.
Megumi watched as the only place he’d known as home got smaller and smaller. It was only once they were in the air did Megumi hear Sukuna let out a relieved breath. He glanced over at his mate and Sukuna’s eyes were closed as if he had to take a moment to relish in the fact that they were safe for the time being.
Neither said anything for nearly twenty minutes. Megumi waited for his mate to start explaining and it seemed Sukuna wasn’t in any sort of rush to do so.
Finally, Sukuna extended a hand and said, “can I see your phone, Megumi?”
“My . . . phone?” Megumi slipped his hand into his pocket and put the device into Sukuna’s large palm. He watched as Sukuna took off the back and removed the battery. Megumi’s mouth dropped as Sukuna did the same with his own.
“I’ll get you a new one. Don’t worry,” Sukuna responded, tossing the now useless devices on the nearby table. Sukuna heaved a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. His eyes closed and he took a breath and then another one. Megumi’s eyes didn’t leave his mate’s face, searching for the answers he desperately sought.
“Sukuna, please,” Megumi begged, his voice soft yet urgent. “I need to know what’s going on. Why are we running away? What’s happening? Are you in trouble?”
There were no words spoken for a few tense moments. The only sound was their breathing and the hum of the plane’s engines. Megumi didn’t say anything, urging his mate to tell the truth. He didn’t want to be in the dark anymore. However, Sukuna appeared hesitant, worried. Megumi felt the urge to reach out and gently caress his cheek, to feel the tattooed skin under his fingers. The omega in him longed to ease the alpha’s worries; to assure him that everything would be okay.
How could he do that though if he didn’t even know what was going on? So, Megumi held back.
Finally, Sukuna turned his head to look at him. “First thing,” Sukuna started and Megumi felt his chest tighten in anticipation. “I need you to know that I love you. With everything in me. I’ve never met someone I love more than you, my treasure. Everything . . . all that I do is to give you a good life. To protect you.”
Megumi swallowed around a lump that had formed in his throat. The suspense was building and Megumi didn’t know if he could take another second of it.
Sukuna pushed on, “. . . I’m not who you think I am, though. I’m not . . . a good person. Have you heard of the King of the Underworld?”
Megumi blinked, once and then twice. Of course he’d heard of him. The police had never been able to get the identity of the man that ran the criminal underworld, however they did know he was the top dog. The man ran the entire criminal world in their city: drugs, weapons, illegal gambling dens. Everything. He was allegedly a violent man who, once crossed, would do anything in his power to settle the score. Dozens, if not hundreds, of murders in the city could possibly be linked to the dangerous criminal.
Megumi’s world came to a halt and his breath hitched. Sukuna couldn’t be implying . . . surely, Megumi was misunderstanding. Perhaps, Sukuna had gotten involved with this so-called King of the Underworld. He’d gotten on the man’s bad side so that’s why they were running. It couldn’t possibly mean . . .
With Megumi’s lack of response, Sukuna continued apprehensively, “it’s me.”
The perfect life Megumi thought he had shattered with those two little words. Everything he thought he knew about Sukuna, about himself, came crashing down around him. He felt like the biggest fool. Naive and stupid for not seeing it sooner.
“Wait . . . what?” Were the only two words that Megumi could mutter in reply. He shook his head, not wanting to believe it. Sukuna wasn’t a criminal. He didn’t kill people.
Sukuna reached out, trying to lay one of his big hands over Megumi’s to soothe the shaken omega. “Megumi, I . . .”
Megumi snatched his hand back and held it close to his chest. His wide eyes focused on Sukuna. He could feel himself trembling and his stomach rolled uneasily. He was going to be sick. “You . . . you lied to me.”
Megumi watched as Sukuna’s eyes closed and his chest rose and fell in a single big breath as he attempted to collect himself. “It’s not like it was something I could just tell you. It . . . it was safer for you not to know. For you not to be involved in any of the business.”
Thinking about it, Megumi supposed it made sense. It wasn’t like Sukuna could come clean when they first started to date. Megumi most likely would’ve gone to the authorities and once they got more serious it was better for Megumi not to know in case things went south. Which, obviously, they had since they were currently on the run.
It did nothing to quell the sting that he didn’t know his mate at all. He felt so stupid for not realizing something was off. “But . . . you hurt people, Sukuna. I’ve seen the news. What they report you’ve done . . .”
Sukuna didn’t say anything. Megumi wondered if there was anything he could say. However, when Megumi glanced at his mate he could see the fear and the sadness that crept onto his normally stoic features. He seemed to think over his next words very carefully. “I know it doesn’t erase everything I’ve done but I . . . I want you to know that since I met you I’ve taken more of a . . . backseat. I’ve been more hands-off.”
Megumi looked down at his hands, his eyes caught on the wedding band around his left ring finger. He frowned softly. Their entire marriage had been built on a lie. How would they be able to move past this? He ran a hand down his face, feeling exhausted suddenly. “So, we won’t be able to go back, will we?”
“Not for a while at least,” Sukuna replied honestly.
“But, I have friends, Sukuna. I have a life. You - - you didn’t even give me a choice here,” Megumi shook his head as he let out a shaky breath.
“There wasn’t a choice. Had I just left and you stayed behind . . . you would’ve been taken into custody and at the very least interrogated. I won’t let anyone lay a finger on you,” Sukuna’s voice turned into a threatening growl as if the mere idea of someone hurting his mate angered him. Sukuna’s face softened and he let out a soft sigh, “look, Megumi, I’ll try to figure out a way for you to see your friends . . . once it’s safe to do so.”
Megumi glanced out the window at the clouds as they soared thousands of feet in the air. Finally, he nodded, giving in. At the end of the day, Megumi knew he still loved his mate and he also knew Sukuna had a point. Had Sukuna left Megumi behind, all the heat would’ve fallen on him. He wouldn’t have been able to handle that.
Sukuna leaned in and wrapped a strong arm around Megumi’s shoulders. He dropped a kiss on Megumi's temple. His breath was warm as he whispered against Megumi’s skin. “I’ll always keep you safe. Don’t you worry, my treasure.”
**********
Megumi wasn’t entirely sure what country they were currently in. He’d fallen asleep after a few hours, head resting against Sukuna’s large shoulder. When his mate had woken him up to tell him they’d arrived, it was night out and Megumi blinked and rubbed his eyes. He looked around but couldn’t tell where they had landed.
Sukuna grabbed his hand and walked him out of the private jet. As soon as they stepped off the jet, Megumi felt the sticky humidity in the air, so definitely somewhere tropical. There was already a car waiting to pick them up and people busied about to load their luggage into the trunk.
“Almost there,” Sukuna assured as they slid into the backseat of the waiting vehicle. He reached out and stroked a thumb over Megumi’s cheek. “I know it’s been a long day.”
Megumi hummed softly and he said, “well, learning that you’re some big crime lord wasn’t exactly on my to-do list this morning.” Perhaps it was his sleep-riddled brain that allowed the words to come out. They weren’t wrong, exactly, but Megumi hadn’t really meant to say it out loud.
Megumi heard the heavy sigh Sukuna let out and felt his mate’s hand move down to grip one of his own. Sukuna gave it a squeeze, “I promise I will do everything I can to make it up to you.”
He didn’t doubt that. Megumi knew Sukuna enough that the alpha felt horribly for uprooting Megumi’s life, for pulling him away from the life they’d built together. The rest of the ride from the small airport was quiet. Neither said anything to the other. Sukuna’s hand rested on Megumi’s thigh and his thumb rubbed gentle circles.
Finally, after the long flight and drive, they stopped in front of a home. It was dark, so it was hard to see everything, but Megumi could make out a large house built among the lush green landscape that was native to the island. When they stepped out of the car, Megumi could hear the soft crashing of waves against sand. So, they were right up against the water as well.
Sukuna placed a hand on Megumi’s lower back to usher him inside. The driver would bring their bags inside. They stepped up to the dark wooden door and Megumi watched Sukuna punch in a code on the lock before they were able to step inside.
Despite knowing Sukuna was very wealthy, sometimes Megumi still found himself shocked with what his mate could afford. The beach house was open and airy, with a bunch of natural dark wooden accents and light colored walls. Stepping inside the home he could see the private beach they had access to due to the ceiling to floor windows.
“How long have you had this place?” Megumi asked as he looked around.
“A few years,” Sukuna answered, “it was finished being renovated about eight or nine months ago. I was hoping to surprise you with a vacation here . . .”
“Well,” Megumi replied, looking back at his mate, “you definitely surprised me.”
Sukuna paused for a moment before he carefully reached out to stroke the back of his fingers against Megumi’s cheek. Megumi’s eyes closed and he sighed, fighting himself to not lean into that touch. He didn’t know how to feel. He was mad - - so mad - - at Sukuna but he still loved him. He knew in his own way, Sukuna had been protecting him by keeping him in the dark but that didn’t make it sting any less.
“Megumi,” Sukuna’s voice was soft, worried still, “I . . . I hope you know everything I’ve done since I met you - - everything has been for you. I want to give you the life you deserve. I want to give you the entire world, my treasure.”
Megumi nodded slowly. He didn’t doubt Sukuna’s words. He just didn’t know how to feel about them. How many people had been hurt or killed even so that they could live a comfortable life?
“I think . . . can you just - - give me a moment?” Megumi tilted his head back to meet Sukuna’s eyes.
“Yes, of course,” Sukuna nodded and took a step back. He turned and headed in the opposite direction, presumably towards the bedroom.
Megumi took a breath and let it out slowly as he looked around the beautiful beach bungalow. It was an amazing house, set right up against the beach, with all the amenities one could hope for. If this were a normal vacation he would be quite happy with it, but this wasn’t a normal vacation.
He ran a hand through his hair. He could use a shower - - or maybe a bath. A nice soak would probably do him some good. But, for the moment, Megumi walked towards the large deck at the back of the house. Megumi took a step outside and breathed in the salty air. The gentle breeze rustled through his dark locks. The night sky made it hard to completely enjoy the view outside but he could make out the waves crashing against the sand.
It was a hard thing to get his mind to wrap around the fact that Sukuna, his mate, was some overlord of crime. Megumi still wasn’t sure what he was more mad about - - the fact that Sukuna was a criminal or that he hadn’t been honest with Megumi from the start. Would Megumi have even given their relationship a chance to blossom had he known the truth?
If he was honest with himself. He wasn’t sure. His father had been a low ranking criminal - - a thug for the lack of a better word. Megumi had grown up teetering the line between a normal, legal life and a life on the wrong side of the law. He knew people needed to do what they could to survive. However, Sukuna and, in extension, himself lived well beyond their means - - there was no reason to cause other people harm just so they could afford another vacation home.
Megumi heaved a sigh, trying to quell those raging thoughts swirling inside his mind. He braced his arms against the railing of the deck and put his head in his hands.
He wasn’t entirely sure how long he stayed like that. He listened to the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. What did he do from here? What options did he even have? He couldn’t go home. He couldn’t contact his friends. Everything that he’d built up in his life had been swept up from under his feet.
Everything but Sukuna.
Megumi let out another breath, his shoulders shuddering. He still loved him. That much he knew. He couldn’t stop loving him. Sukuna was his treasure just as much as he was his.
Finally, he heard the soft sound of footsteps behind him. He could smell Sukuna’s scent before he could feel him. Sukuna’s large arms wrapped around his waist as Megumi slowly straightened. He didn’t look at Sukuna but he felt the Alpha gently rest his chin on Megumi’s shoulder. The salty breeze brushed through Megumi’s hair, rustling the dark locks a bit.
“Are you okay?” Sukuna asked as his thumbs lightly curled over Megumi’s waist.
“I don’t know how to answer that,” Megumi replied honestly. “I - - I don’t know what I’m more mad at. That you’re some - - criminal under lord or that you didn’t tell me. We’re supposed to tell each other everything. We’re mates.”
Sukuna didn’t say anything for a moment. “I didn’t know how to tell you. Everything I’ve done . . . I just wanted to keep you safe, keep you happy.”
“I know you did,” Megumi replied and he didn’t doubt his words in the slightest. “But, I’m not some fragile thing that needs to be shielded from the world.” Megumi turned in Sukuna’s arms and tilted his head back to look up at him. “Can you promise me something from this moment on?”
Sukuna’s face softened and he nodded, “anything, my treasure.”
“Don’t lie to me. We’re a team. We tell each other everything. We trust each other. If we can’t do that, then this won’t work. Okay?” Megumi met Sukuna’s eyes and he held his gaze. He wasn’t about to back down. This was his only condition and there was absolutely no room for negotiation.
Sukuna seemed to understand the significance of the deal. He didn’t rush to answer as he genuinely thought about it. Finally, he nodded slowly, “I can do that. I promise from this moment on I won’t lie to you. I’ll be honest to you about everything.”
“Thank you,” Megumi couldn’t help a small smile that graced his face. He didn’t know what they would do from here but he hoped they’d be able to move on.
“I love you, my treasure,” Sukuna leaned in and kissed his mate’s lips. “Forever and always.”
Megumi closed his eyes and leaned in closer. Sukuna dropped another kiss to his mate’s forehead “Forever and always,” Megumi repeated softly.