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Akashi Masaomi was a hard man.
He was born in a family of elites, brought up with high expectations breathing down his neck, always being observed and criticized by his strict, overbearing alpha parents. He was cutthroat not only in the business world, but in every single aspect of his life.
The only person who saw even a bare glimpse of whatever soft, caring side that his parents didn't manage to pound out of him was his beautiful, caring, special bond mate.
The true love of his life...his Shiori.
When Shiori had left this world and passed on to the next, for the first time in his life, Masaomi was at a complete loss. The only things left that he had of Shiori was her loving memories and their beautiful son, Seijuurou.
The one thing that Masaomi loved just as much as Shiori, was Seijuurou. Not that his son knew of this- because Masaomi never told him or showed it to him.
Due to his own upbringing, Masaomi didn't really know how to care for another properly, let alone a child. He always wondered if Shiori truly knew how much he had and always would love her (though in his heart and with Shiori's last words, he knew that she understood him and loved him wholeheartedly). But because he didn't know how to act very caring or loving, he found himself becoming distant to his son.
And what's worst, he began to treat Seijuurou exactly like his father had treated him.
When he heard word of Seijuurou's first loss and had watched the final game that one of his employees had taped for him, Masaomi finally saw what his actions had done to his beloved son. He had broken the boy to the point of near insanity.
For the first time, Masaomi had failed at something. He had failed at being the type of father that Seijuurou needed. Masaomi's heart twisted at the thought of his deceased beloved, most likely frowning down from heaven, disappointed in him.
When he saw Seijuurou a few days after, he was surprised to see the change in his son- for the better. He was more calmer and the aura around him wasn't as predatory as it had been before. And Masaomi did take note of Seijuurou's eyes turning back to being completely red (just like his Shiori's had been).
Before Seijuurou could open his mouth to apologize for his loss, Masaomi managed to shock the boy by apologizing to his son first. From then on, the father and son finally had a 'heart to heart' and talked properly with each other, not as business associates but as a father with his only son.
When Masaomi saw his son genuinely smile at HIM, he had trouble keeping his tears at bay. For the first time, he felt as if he was finally becoming the type of person that Shiori had always saw him as.
Seijuurou became more open with his father and they even discussed non-work related things during their dinners together. Masaomi also found out about his son's previous dissociative personality disorder, and after talking it through with his son, it was agreed that the redhead would attend weekly therapy sessions to help with his mental problems.
Akashi Masaomi was still a hard man. But that was towards everyone else other than his son.
Everything was finally going well in the Akashi household....until HE came.
Masaomi was not blind to how his son acted around a certain mousy brunette. Masaomi first caught glimpses of the two hanging around at the mansion. When he questioned Seijuurou about the beta boy, his son had a certain sparkle in his eyes as he happily told his father about all the things that he and this 'Kouki' had done that day.
Masaomi didn't want to ruin his son's happiness so he kept quiet as he continued to observe the two from afar. His son or the beta would take turns each weekend to visit the other at their homes. Furihata Kouki became a regular topic at their table. Even though Seijuurou never said it, it was obvious to Masaomi that they were dating (his son always had the beta's strangely sweet smell on him these days but it didn't seem like they had any intercourse yet).
Finally, Masaomi came to his final conclusion about Furihata Kouki- he absolutely hated the brunette and completely disapproved of his 'relationship' with his son.
He had always imagined Seijuurou with a lovely lady from a very high-classed, wealthy and powerful family. His wife would be able to produce a decent heir to continue the Akashi lineage- not some shy, awkward beta boy who couldn't even speak straight without stuttering, let alone bear him grandchildren.
Not only could he not accept such a mismatched couple into the Akashi family, he also couldn't see what his son saw in a timid, non remarkable, no-name beta- completely opposite to his own superior alpha son.
He would have them break up immediately.
It was for Seijuurou's own good, after all.
One day when Kouki came over for one of his usual visits, the beta looked shocked when his boyfriend's father came up to him and for the first time actually spoke to him (the older man usually ignored his existence whenever the brunette had visited previously). Masaomi asked if he could speak to Kouki in private. Seijuurou looked confused (his father didn't tell him that he wanted to talk to Kouki so he had no idea want was going on) but Kouki assured the redhead that he would be fine and would love to properly introduce himself to his father.
In the privacy of his own office, Masaomi dropped his kind charade and made his displeasure known about the beta's relationship with his son. As Kouki sat in the chair across from him in shock, Masaomi proceeded to tell off the boy about how insignificant the brunette really was compared to his superior alpha son and how he'll pay the boy a high amount of money to break off their relationship immediately (Just because Masaomi was now much kinder to Seijuurou, he was still a cruel, cutthroat Akashi to anybody else- especially to the weak).
As he continued to berate the boy, he noticed the tears that had formed in the boy's eyes. Good, this will be over sooner than he thought.
When he kept insulting the boy, he noticed Kouki opening his mouth to finally say something, probably to tell him that he was sorry for ever thinking he was good enough to even breathe the same air as Seijuurou and then give the amount of money he wanted in exchange for breaking off his relationship- probably what the brunette had planned from the beginning, coercing money from his precious son.
But what came out of Furihata Kouki's mouth caught him completely by surprise.
"Who the FUCK do you think you are?" Furihata Kouki, the mousy, timid, shivering beta boy in front of him had both his fists clenched to his sides as he stood up, his body now trembling in only anger and he was looking, no GLARING at Masaomi as if HE were one of the scum of the Earth. It was like his whole demeanor had turned an entire 180.
For the next few minutes, Masaomi found himself being yelled at by Kouki, being told what a horrible father he was for abandoning his son when he was needed the most, by putting so much pressure and responsibility that it caused a mental breakdown in Seijuurou. How Masaomi had no right to judge Kouki because he knew that he loved his son more than his tyrant of a father did. He loved Seijuurou not because of his surname or his money or his alpha status or his good looks (though he did admit Seijuurou was the most handsomest man he had ever met). He loved Seijuurou for his kindness and protectiveness, his wittiness and strength, and even his incapability to tell a decent joke. For the love Seijuurou had shown to Kouki and for the dorky excitement he had shown whenever something shogi-related came up.
Furihata Kouki pointed his finger right in Masaomi's face as he said in a deadly voice, "I may not be extraordinarily handsome or a genius or a freaking millionaire from a highbred family. But what I, Furihata Kouki, am is a good brother, friend and a decent human being. I may be shy and timid and scare quite easily and pretty frequently, but when push comes to shove, I'll definitely defend myself and others when needed. I love Seijuurou for both his perfections and his imperfections and you can just take that money offer and shove it somewhere else. And because I am so in love with your son, I'm willing to fight you tooth and nail for the right to love him and stay by his side as his mate. Because I know in my heart that we are TRUE bond mates."
As Kouki continued his rant, Masaomi just sat there, in a slight daze as he couldn't quite believe what was happening. This small insignificant nobody that he completely wrote off as something to get rid of...had actually had the guts and backbone to stand up to him. HIM. Akashi Masaomi.
As Kouki finally looked as if he was done, he continued to just stand there with his hands still clenched and panting heavily as he continued glaring bullets at the man in front of him. Masaomi finally snapped out of his stupor as a single thought hit him.
'Ah. He reminds me so much of her. Of Shiori.'
A body with such an unassuming but kind presence...holding such a fiery and courageous and deeply faithful spirit within. It was just like his deceased mate. His Shiori.
Masaomi finally understood what Seijuurou saw in this boy. What made him fall in love with someone who was his complete opposite, but at the same time, actually had more in common than what was first perceived.
He knew that he was fighting a losing battle since Kouki's love for his son was exactly like Shiori's love had been for him. They were both willing to fight for that love. And in all honesty, Masaomi couldn't find it in himself to even want to separate them anymore.
Who was he to stand in the way of his son's true bond mate- a mate who truly loved his son more than anything in the world and would even stand up to his mate's 'tyrant' of a father?
After a silence of what seemed like hours, Masaomi finally straightened in his seat and focused his stern eyes into the beta's eyes, watching the boy flinch a little but still not refusing to cower away.
After a tense moment, Kouki literally stopped breathing when he saw the corners of Masaomi's mouth lift itself into what looked like a genuine smile as he spoke in a warm voice, "Very well. I give you, Furihata Kouki approval to date my Seijuurou. Please take care of my son from now on."
Masaomi watched as Kouki's eyes widened with shock. The beta suddenly became an alarming shade of white, probably from the lack of oxygen since the brunette STILL hadn't taken a breath yet and probably forgot that he needed to breathe at all.
For the second time that day, the brunette boy managed to shock him once again as Masaomi watched in horror as Kouki's eyes rolled up inside his head and his body slowly crumpled to the floor with a loud crash.
Masaomi immediately ran to the brunette's side, checking to see if the boy had managed to injure himself from the fall. A minute later, Seijuurou burst into the room, feeling that something was wrong with his boyfriend (these two weren't even bonded yet, so how were they so in sync?), and the redhead immediately growled when he saw his boyfriend's passed out form on the floor.
Knowing not to stand in the way of an aggressively protective alpha and his distressed mate, Masaomi immediately backed away from the brunette and let his son cradle his lover close to him, kissing the boy's face immediately as he tried to check for any wounds or bruises.
Masaomi called for his private doctor and told Seijuurou to bring Kouki into his room. When the doctor told him that he would be there soon, Masaomi made his way to his son's room and saw Seijuurou cuddling next to his unconscious lover, scent marking the brunette so much that Masaomi had to cough at the strong smell.
At his father's cough, Seijuurou looked up and demanded he tell him everything that had happened and why his boyfriend was unconscious on the floor.
Since he had been trying to have an open relationship with his son, Masaomi decided to tell his son the truth and explained everything that had happened between him and the beta.
Seijuurou growled in anger when Masaomi told him how badly he initially treated Kouki and how he tried to break off their relationship. Seijuurou then looked as shocked as Masaomi had been when he learned about how the timid brunette had actually stood up to his father and defended their relationship and love. Seijuurou couldn't help but grin proudly as he hugged his boyfriend closer to him.
Seijuurou listened to his father's apology about how wrong he was about Furihata Kouki and how he wrongly underestimated the young beta. He gave them his approval of their relationship and when he had told this to the brunette, it must have shocked the poor boy so much that he ended up fainting (or maybe it was the realization that Kouki had actually talked back to his boyfriend's scary father that finally hit the timid boy and all his bravado left him and caused him to pass out).
After the private doctor had shown up and assured the worried father and son that Kouki was okay and his body was only overwhelmed by all the stress that the brunette put it in.
When Kouki woken up a few minutes after the doctor had left, he looked around confused with his surroundings. When he looked at Masaomi, his eyes widened as he remembered what had happened. After Seijuurou managed to calm the hyperventilating brunette down, Masaomi cleared his throat, grabbing the couple's attention.
Looking into Kouki's completely frightened eyes, Masaomi gave the boy a hopefully reassuring smile as he repeated what he had said before- that he would give the pair his approval and that Kouki was welcomed into the Akashi family with open arms.
Kouki bursted into tears after that, crying in relief and exhaustion. Seijuurou merely held his boyfriend, giving his father another one of his genuine smiles.
Masaomi left the pair to themselves to rest as he went back to his office to finish up the rest of his work.
That night during dinner, Masaomi decided to get to know his future son-in-law better. He found out that the boy's parents had passed away when he was young and he lived together with his older brother who was four years older (they had no immediate family but they had managed to get taken in by a kind woman from the child services. When the woman sadly passed away due to illness, Kouki's brother by then was old enough to take guardianship over Kouki himself). Since his mother's family had been rich (they lived in Barcelona, making Kouki half Spanish) the brothers were able to budget the money that was left for them so they wouldn't need to take jobs and could focus more on their studies (Kouki's best subjects were Math and English but he was horrible in Science).
When one of the butlers brought them a green colored drink filled with what looked like mint leaves and lime slices, Masaomi asked what it was.
Kouki blushed as he admitted that he had made it earlier, hoping that they would like it. It was a mint and lime iced green tea. Whenever it was hot out and he was feeling stressed or a bit overwhelmed, the drink would help cool him off.
Masaomi took a sip of the drink and his eyes widened at the refreshing taste. "This is quite delicious, Kouki-kun." The older man complimented. After he learned that he and the brunette shared a same interest in trains and architecture, Masaomi had taken to calling Kouki by his given name and had already started on wedding plans (Kouki had choked out that they weren't even engaged while Seijuurou pointed out that they should at least graduate high school first before getting married).
As they continued to drink their iced teas, Masaomi sighed as he looked wistful. "You would make a wonderful mate to Seijuurou, Kouki-kun." Kouki blushed red as Masaomi continued. "I suppose surrogacy or adoption will have to do. The Akashi line does need a heir after all." Kouki choked on his drink when he heard that.
Seijuurou frowned at his father. "I want our child to be whatever they want to be- I don't want their life to be set in stone before they're even born."
"I'm sure you'll both have more than one child and then I have no doubt that one of my grandchildren would like to take over the company in the future." Masaomi pointed out.
Kouki was quiet as he listened to their talk before he hesitantly put his hand up to get their attention. "Ano..." Kouki started when both Akashi's were looking at him. "I have something I need to tell you both. Actually, I was planning on telling Sei about this around next week, but I guess I should say it now."
"Is something wrong, Kouki?" Seijuurou asked, looking worriedly at him. Masaomi also had a look of concern on his face.
Kouki shook his head as he bit his lip. "No, nothing's wrong. But...I've been lying to you about something."
Seijuurou looked bewildered at this. "What did you lie about?" Masaomi was now frowning at the hesitant looking boy.
Sighing, Kouki finally looked up from his drink and confessed, "The truth is, I'm not actually a beta. What I've been hiding is that I'm actually a....um, I'm an omega actually." Looking at the father and son and seeing their expressions, Kouki flushed even more and frantically began explaining, "Sorry I didn't say so from the start but well, um, I've been taking suppressants since I presented in middle school and my doctor advised me to keep my secondary gender a secret since male omegas are rare and I should only reveal myself until I bonded with my mate and uh, I really was gonna tell Sei about it soon since my heat is coming next month and well, since the topic of children came up I thought you guys should know that we don't need to hire a surrogate or go for adoption since, well, we can make children ourselves and uh, well, yeah...yeah."
Masaomi continued to stare at his future son-in-law, watching as the omega started to wave his hand in front of his son's stunned face.
Furihata Kouki was a MALE OMEGA? One of the very rare and highly sought-after male omegas that people (specifically the rich) would literally fight and DIE for in order to capture their attention, let alone become their mate. And his son just happened to get himself a male omega who was unassuming at first sight but incredibly loyal and with immeasurable strength just like that?
And for the third time that day, Akashi Masaomi once again found himself in a state of utter shock.
Furihata Kouki would definitely bring the Akashi family many surprises from now on.