【 Ｆｌｅｓｈ Ｉｓ ｔｈｅ Ｌａｗ】
TOJI X READER / ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE AU
pairing: Single Dad Toji x Teacher Reader
Summary: Your town had gone silent. After spending days completely cut off from the world, you finally step outside only to find zombies roaming the streets. As you make your way through town, your path crosses with a man named Toji. Now, you have to figure out how to survive alongside this single dad, as the tension between you begins to rise.
Warnings/ Content Notes: gore/violence- panic attacks/ anxiety triggers- strong language/cursing- vomit- Sexual content.
▶︎•၊၊||၊|။||||။၊|။• The Prince's Dream- Rik Schaffer
Chapter 6
The sound of metal filled the hall. Loud thumps of boots hitting the ground echoed in your ears. The place smelled like ashes and old leather as you made your way down. They looked tired, but the spark behind their eyes was enough to make them do it all over again.
They all gathered around the fire. Not so close, but not too far either. The hot air rising from the pit drew the lines of hierarchy between them. You followed from behind carefully, trying not to get caught by the firelight.
You didn’t hear when exactly he arrived, but somewhere between the loud chatter, he appeared. The noises slowly quieted down. The large doors closed behind him before he took his seat.
Today he wore casual clothes. The same grey hoodie from the day you met him, with a torn brown leather jacket over it. He already had a large silhouette, but with everything on, he looked even bigger. His eyes scanned the crowd but never met yours.
You quietly let out the breath you had been holding.
Uraume inclined their head slightly toward Sukuna before addressing the room.
“The western stockpiles won’t hold for long at this rate,” they said. “Half the scouting teams keep bringing back useless junk while the number of mouths here keeps growing. Medicine is being burned through faster every week, food reserves are getting tighter, and medicine supplies are no longer could be find in westward."
A restless murmur moved through the hall.
Uraume continued without hesitation.
“We require stronger operational locations and more capable manpower if Kovenant 9 intends to continue expanding.”
You shifted nervously.
“Additional scouting units will move farther east beginning tomorrow. Any usable outposts, storage sites, or surviving groups will be assessed.”
The wording left something cold hanging in the air.
Then Sukuna spoke.
His voice was quiet enough that the room leaned into it.
“The walls feel smaller lately with each one of you mouths.”
Firelight flickered across his face as he rested back in his chair, one hand against his jaw.
Silence settled over the hall.
“We’ll increase outside operations,” he said calmly.
His gaze drifted across the crowd without lingering. Then he straightened slightly in his seat as if he was about to stand.
'That was it?' You thought.
You let out another quiet breath. Your shoulders relaxed. Tomorrow morning you would find Uraume and talk about scouting. You already had a few ideas on how to persuade them.
A low murmur spread through the hall again. Nobody dared raise their voice yet. No one even moved toward the exits. They were waiting for him to finish.
You still kept your head lowered, listening to the shifting around you, trying to make yourself smaller among the crowd.
Then you felt it. His burning eyes. His hungry attention and your stomach tightened instantly.
Slowly, carefully, you lifted your eyes just enough to see him.
Sukuna was already looking at you with a grin. He seemed like he had known you were there the entire time.
You looked down immediately, pulse hammering in your throat. Maybe if you stayed still enough, he would lose interest.
“You, teacher.”
The single word cut through the hall. Everyone seemed confused now.
Your breath caught. Sukuna tilted his head slightly, one elbow resting lazily against the armrest of his chair.
“Come here.” He commanded.
You hesitated before your legs moved. They felt weak as you stepped forward through the parted crowd. Their confused eyes were all on you now. The sound of your footsteps echoed horribly in the silence.
When you finally stopped in front of him, Sukuna leaned back slightly, studying you with open amusement.
“This is the second time,” he said with a faint grin on his mouth.
“The second time you’ve wandered down here.”
You said nothing.
“Look at them,” he murmured.
You hesitated then slowly, you turned your head toward the room. Every person there was watching. Could read from their faces, they knew this was your end of time.
“Interesting, isn’t it?” he chuckled. "How quickly you fucks learn obedience when afraid enough.”
The hall stayed silent. Then you felt his hand close around your wrist. He pulled you closer to his chair until you nearly stumbled.
“Sorry I didn’t have time to train you personally,” Sukuna murmured quietly enough that only you could hear. “Why don’t you be a good dog now?”
Heat crawled up your neck from humiliation alone.
“Strip.” He ordered.
The word landed hard. Your fingers twitched at your sides. For a second you thought you misheard him.
Sukuna watched you silently, his gaze heavy enough to pin you in place.
“Well?” he asked quietly.
Heat burned across your face. Every person in the hall was staring now, though most kept their heads lowered just enough to avoid drawing his attention too.
Your trembling hands moved slowly.
First the leather jacket.
The oversized Kovenant 9 coat slipped from your shoulders heavily, the worn material brushing against your skin before falling into your hands. It had never fit you properly to begin with. Too broad in the shoulders, sleeves hanging past your wrists, carrying the scent of smoke, rust, and old blood.
You folded it instinctively.
Sukuna watched the entire thing without blinking. The corner of his mouth twitched upward when you carefully placed it aside instead of dropping it.
Then came the cap. Your fingers hesitated briefly before pulling it off, exposing flattened hair dampened slightly by nervous heat. The hoodie followed next. You gripped the hem tightly before dragging it over your head, movements stiff with humiliation. Cold air brushed immediately against the thin shirt underneath, you felt your nipples harden. Few people looked away completely.
Sukuna remained still beneath you, one hand resting lazily against the side of his face while his eyes wandered slowly over your body.
“Cute,” he murmured.
Your stomach twisted with disgust. The purple mark from before still stained your skin. The swollen bruise sat near the lower part of your ribs.
Then your fingers moved to your pants. The sound of fabric shifting filled your ears. Your breathing had turned shallow by the time you stepped out of them, leaving you standing there in only the thin shirt and your underwear beneath it.
Humiliation crawled under your skin like fire. You folded your arms over yourself, trying to hide from the dozens of eyes burning into you. Tried not to think about how exposed you felt.
You wanted to kill them all.
Sukuna leaned forward slightly, resting his forearms against his knees. His gaze moved over the oversized clothes pooled near your feet before returning to your face.
Then his hand reached out.
His large hand gripped your waist and pulled you onto his lap in one swift motion.
“There you are,” he murmured. You froze instantly beneath his arm as it settled around your waist. He rested his chin briefly against his knuckles and looked out over the room with you sitting against him like decoration. His large hand remained settled against your bare thigh. Looking at it from this close, you could make out a few tattoos running across it.
His thumb moved lazily against your skin in slow strokes. The owner of those red eyes was fidgeting with your thigh when you felt an embarrasing heat between your legs. This was the worst time ever and you prayed he would not notice. You sat stiffly against him, painfully aware of every person still standing in the hall. Sukuna’s fingers shifted slightly higher before settling again.
“Eastern patrols will double starting tomorrow,” he said casually. “I want cleaner reports this time.”
A few members immediately straightened.
“I heard the last scouting unit missed two storage levels because they were too afraid to clear the lower floors." His thumb dragged lower against your skin again.
“If you all keep slowing operations, I’ll start reducing team sizes myself.”The threat settled heavily over the room.
Meanwhile his hand drifted closer to the inside of your thighs. Uraume stood quietly beside him, unmoving as ever. The hall remained frozen.
“Dismissed.”Low murmurs slowly returned after the command. Nobody looked at you longer than necessary. You stayed perfectly still in Sukuna’s lap while the crowd emptied from the hall. Then eventually the room became quiet while only a few higher ups remained.
Sukuna leaned back lazily, one arm still around your waist. Up close, the amusement on his face looked worse somehow. Like the fun part started now. His fingers played with the lace of your underwear.
“So,” he murmured. “You’ve been sneaking downstairs.”Heat crept back up your neck.
“And second day in a row.”His fingers tightened slightly against your thigh.
“Why?” he chuckled. “You don’t seem stupid enough to think you wouldn’t get caught.”
“Bored in this hellhole,” you muttered quietly. You spoke after a moment of silence. "Thought i could be useful since the operation is headed eastward.”You still refused to look at him. “At this point getting eaten alive would probably be less humiliating than whatever this is.”
For a second, silence filled the room again. Then you heard him laugh. A real laugh this time. You hated how it vibrated through his chest beneath you.
“There’s the attitude,” he murmured. “Was wondering when you’d stop shaking long enough to speak honestly.”
The heat climbed your neck again. But his hand slowed slightly.
“Help how?” His finger tapped once against your thigh.
“The school I worked at is in the eastern district.” You tried deepening your voice, but it came out smaller than you wanted. “I know the area better than most people in here.”
You saw his eyebrows raise mockingly.
“The building had a safe for emergency situations,” you continued. “The lower levels should still be sealed." That one caught his attention further.
“There are storage rooms underground. Medical supplies too. Backup generators.” You glanced at him briefly.
“And you know all this because?”
“Taught there. Duh.”Your fingers tightened in your lap.
“I-i can access where the keys are.”
Silence. Sukuna leaned back slowly, studying you like he was deciding whether you were useful or just reckless.
“You sneak into meetings you’re not supposed to hear,” he said quietly, “and somehow this is the first useful thing you’ve done.”The words stung more because they weren’t fully cruel.
You bit the inside of your cheek.
“Can you let me go now?” you sat right now.
His thumb brushed your skin once more before squeezing your thigh firmly. Then he nodded without amusement. You stood up quickly and reached for your clothes, covering yourself as fast as possible. Then he spoke again.
“How defensible?”
You crossed your arms once dressed.
“The two entrances lock manually. Roof access is narrow too,” you answered quickly. “And if the subway tunnels are untouched, you can move between blocks without using the streets.”A faint grin pulled at the corner of his mouth.
“So the stray’s got a purpose after all.”You looked away again.
Sukuna let the silence sit for a moment before finally standing up.
“You’re coming with the next scouting unit.” He says. "Pack ur shit will be up for couple days."
Your head lifted immediately.
Gotcha.
This was your way out. Now you just had to avoid drawing even more attention to yourself. Sukuna turned and left the hall with Uraume following behind him. The large doors shut heavily after them.
Only then did the pressure in your chest loosen slightly. Gathering your clothes properly, you made your way back upstairs. The corridor felt suffocating. But the thought of seeing sunlight tomorrow gave you a small piece of hope.
You changed immediately after entering your room. You prayed it would be the last time wearing these clothes again.
Then finally collapsed into bed. A few quiet tears soaked into the pillow before sleep eventually took you.
═════════════════════
Toji’s POV
The house stayed quiet. Sunlight peeked through the curtains across the floor. Toji adjusted the backpack on his shoulder while checking the blade in his hand one last time.
“Stay close,” he told Megumi without looking back.
The kid nodded sleepily and tightened his grip around Toji’s sleeve. One of the dogs stretched near the doorway while the other paced impatiently.
The food around the apartment had started running low two days ago. Not dangerously low yet, but enough for Toji to risk going further today. The stash they gathered around the café would only last a few more days.
He hated leaving the neighborhood for too long. Every second outside felt wrong lately as the streets stayed quiet as usual. Wind dragged trash across the pavement while distant groans echoed between buildings. The city looked rotten now. Windows shattered. Cars abandoned in the middle of roads. Blood stains dried black under the heat. Megumi stayed silent while they walked.
“Tired?” Toji asked.
The kid shook his head. Toji lit a cigarette. The smoke settled the irritation crawling under his skin.
Then one of the dogs stopped ahead. Its ears twitched. Then it barked. Toji’s eyes narrowed immediately. The second dog reacted too. Both suddenly pulling forward with excited movements.
“What the hell?”
The dogs took off down the street while Toji grabbed Megumi’s arm and followed quickly behind. The barking echoed between the empty buildings.
The dogs stopped near a small convenience store squeezed between two apartment buildings. The glass doors were cracked open. One dog scratched at the entrance while whining loudly. He could make out some movement inside. He looked carefully this time.
His body froze.
You stepped out slowly into the morning light. Clothes dirty, there were dust on your sleeves. Hair messy as hell but alive. For a second nobody moved. Your eyes widened slightly when they landed on him. Then your face softened.
“Toji…”
The sound of your voice snapped something inside him. He crossed the distance in seconds. One arm wrapped around your waist and pulled you against his chest so fast you almost stumbled. His hand grabbed your jaw roughly, eyes scanning your face like he was making sure every part of you was still there.
You were warm and breathing. Between his arms.
You broke the hug to speak. “You look awful,” you whispered with a small laugh.
Toji huffed quietly. He stared at your face for another second before pulling you into another tight embrace.
“Yeah? Look at yourself.”
You smiled again. Then Megumi tugged lightly on his sleeve.
“We should go home now,” Toji muttered quietly near your ear.
The walk back felt lighter somehow. The dogs wandered ahead proudly while you stayed close beside him. Your arm brushed against his every few steps. Sometimes your fingers hooked around his sleeve without thinking. The apartment building slowly appeared ahead. Toji unlocked the front door while Megumi slipped inside first with the dogs running ahead. You followed after him while Toji shut the door behind everyone.
Suddenly he stopped. Something felt wrong immediately. One of the dogs growled lowly from deeper inside the hallway and Toji’s hand tightened around the knife in his pocket.
“Stay here.”
“What happened?”You frowned slightly. But he didn’t answer.
A small creak came from deeper inside the apartment. The bedroom door sat at the end of the hallway.
Toji slowly moved forward. His pulse climbed with every step. The bedroom door sat half open but he already knew.
Somewhere deep inside, he already fucking knew.
“Toji?” Your voice sounded smaller behind him as he pushed the door open and everything stopped.
You were now laying on the bed covered in blood. Your arm hung lifelessly off the side of the mattress while blood soaked through the sheets beneath you. Megumi laid beside your body frozen completely still. Blood smeared across his face and clothes.
The knife slipped from Toji’s hand loudly. His breathing stopped as he looked behind himself instantly. You two were gone in a moment, leaving hallway was empty.
Cold panic crashed into him so violently his chest hurt. Then he moved.
As soon as he reached toward you—
Toji woke up violently. A sharp breath tore out of his throat as he sat upright from the couch. Sweat clung to the back of his neck while his chest rose heavily. His muscles strained with exhaustion. He was home. He had brought Megumi home safely yesterday. Toji slowly sat up properly and tried to breathe. He must have fallen asleep on the couch and Shiu didn’t bother waking him up. Pale morning light leaked through the windows. One of the dogs lifted its head near the doorway before laying back down again.
“Fuck…”Toji rubbed both hands down his face.
The dream still sat heavy inside his chest. He could still remember the blood. Small footsteps echoed from the hallway. Megumi appeared half asleep, dragging the blanket behind him. Toji looked at the kid for a second.
“Did I wake you?”Megumi nodded quietly.
Toji clicked his tongue and stood up from the couch. His back hurt like hell. Sleeping curled up like that probably fucked his muscles worse than the walkers yesterday.
“Go wash your face.”Megumi disappeared toward the bathroom while Toji headed toward the kitchen. The apartment smelled stale. Cigarette smoke, dust, and old wood.
Shiu was gone as well . 'Probably left right after sunrise.' He thought.
“Took one dog. Relax.”A small note laid on the counter.
“Who the fuck asked you.” Toji scoffed quietly.
Still, he folded the note and shoved it into his pocket anyway. Opening the cabinets, he stared at the ridiculous amount of food left inside. A couple instant ramens. Half empty water bottles. Some canned shit Megumi hated eating. They needed more supplies. Yesterday they barely made it back in one piece. The roads around the subway station were getting worse too. More walkers gathering around noise. Toji lit a cigarette and walked toward the balcony. The neighborhood looked dead under the morning fog. Laundry still hanging from balconies. Bikes laying abandoned near the sidewalk. Somewhere far away smoke rose between buildings. The dream still lingered in the back of his mind. The thought made his chest tighten.
The apartment suddenly felt too small around him. Too quiet. Every thought bounced off the empty walls and came right back at him.
Without another word Toji grabbed the knife from the table and headed toward the entrance.
“Where are you going?” Megumi asked quietly.
“Gonna patrol around. Better if you stay this time, kiddo.” A small grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Shiu’ll be back soon. Why don’t you two have breakfast?”
Megumi nodded slowly.
“Pen,” he muttered before walking back toward his room.
"Gotcha." Toji nodded. The dog followed after him while he opened the front door. Cold morning air brushed against his face immediately. The front garden looked untouched. Dead leaves gathered near the fence while the wind moved weakly through the overgrown grass.
He stepped outside and quietly shut the door behind him.
Then he was gone.
