"Typical of 'pa."
Sesshōmaru narrowed his eyes as his eldest, icy gold promising retribution for her cheekiness. Gwen almost trembled in her socks – people traipsed around without shoes on the wooden floors - feeling the crushing aura of the daiyōkai brush against her skin. But Towa brushed it off with a shrug; her father turned tail and disappeared once more.
"See ?" Towa asked, miraculously unfazed.
Gwen nodded; yes, she saw. Sesshōmaru was watching over his father's recovery, but would take no credit for it. Stubborn old dog. Yet, he had been right; one look at Tōga told her he was exhausted, and in pain. Not that he would admit it, but there was an excited flicker swirling in the depth of his eyes that sold his happiness.
InuYasha reached out, offering his hand to haul him up.
"Let me, 'Pa."
"Careful !" Gwen exclaimed, fearing that the boisterous half demon would end up tearing her beloved's arm away. Or send him flying altogether.
"Keh !", InuYasha sneered, rolling the sleeves of his plain t-shirt. "I know how to handle humans, no need to panic."
Sheepish, Gwen only nodded as the fifty-year-old half yōkai gently eased his battered father up, sliding his shoulder underneath his arm. They were a striking image, one middle-aged son supporting a father that looked half his age.
That's it, my brain has fried.
The four of them retreated to their room, socked feet padding on the long corridor of polished wood. With the slow pace, Gwen leisurely took in the surroundings. Painted portraits featured family members in traditional garb, from the fifteen hundred to more modern takes. China vases held ikebana flower arrangements here and there, and multiple shōji screens littered the hallway. This place was the epitome of Japanese elegance.
When InuYasha pushed their door open, Gwen realised that their current room was one of the few that was equipped with an occidental opening. In his current state, Tōga couldn't possibly sleep on a futon or he'd never be able to rise. Still, she was curious to experience the real Japanese lifestyle.
The hanyou lowered his father gently, brushing aside Towa's help with a proud expression. His large golden eyes were soft, and Gwen turned to the young woman with questions about the shiro – because this sure as hell was large enough to be a castle - to allow father and son a little privacy.
Not a quarter of an hour passed before Haru appeared in the doorway; Sesshōmaru must have sent him to check on his patient.
He shooed all of them out, except for Gwen, and declared that Tōga needed rest. Towa bowed formally, expressing her intent to visit on the morrow, then kicked inuYasha's ribs for ignoring the most basic rules of politeness. The hanyou snorted and left with a smirk.
Thus ended the merry reunion, leaving the former general completely out of sorts. Gwen closed the door and made her way to the bed where he lay, propped on a series of cushions. Long hair cascaded, unbound, over his injured shoulder like a river of silk. Golden eyes followed her approach, slightly dazed from the painkillers he'd just swallowed. The young woman reached for her lover's hand and sat by his side, close enough so that her folded leg touched his uninjured thigh. Gently, she laced their fingers together.
"How does it feel ?" she asked.
An open question, a trick she'd learnt from her little brother to allow conversations to steer in any direction. Tōga seemed to consider his response for a moment.
"Confusing."
His other hand passed over his tired features, and Gwen wondered if they shouldn't consider a nap. Besides the obvious strain and trauma, she was still jet lagged.
"How so ?"
"It's like I was always meant to be there," he mused. "But a stranger at the same time. It doesn't make sense."
The young woman nodded; the exotism of this place was a monstrous change to her occidental habits, but Tōga had been partially raised in Japan. This was the place of his childhood, and the one his former soul had lived in. That he should feel like a stranger worried her; was it because he'd lost his place in the hierarchy?
"Do you want to reclaim your seat ? To be the top dog, the Inu no taishō ?"
A deep frown marred her beloved's features, and she barely refrained the urge to smooth the line out with her thumb. If she had her way, Tōga would only be authorised to look happy and carefree.
"No."
There was a finality in his tone, and relief loosened her shoulders.
"No ?"
She watched his features shift, gaze mellowing as he considered the many reasons he refused to be the Inu no Taishō once again.
"It was exhilarating," he told her, bringing their joined hands to his lips. "I was powerful. Near invincible, or so I thought. For a millennium, I battled, destroyed, protected and triumphed. I was gifted a powerful heir from an equally powerful mate."
Gwen's brows rose; she didn't understand. Tōga tugged on her hand, a wordless call for her to lay against his side. As she settled comfortably, basking in both his scent and his touch, Tōga rumbled:
"It took me this life, to be human, to realise how much I had missed warmth in my life. I think going to Izayoi was the first sign that I wasn't fulfilled, but I never got to explore it. I had so little time to enjoy love. Never got to see my son grow up because I was slain by a fucking dragon."
Gwen nodded, circling his broad chest with care to prevent the pressure from jolting his broken rib. Her fingers found the moonspun mane and buried within its silky strands. A whiff of his fragrance caused her whole body to relax, and she realised what he meant. Tucked in his embrace, she was at peace. Had the Inu no Taishō felt like this once in his long life ? Even with Izayoi, the burden of all those expectations weighing upon his shoulders must have been crushing.
"So you'll not be running with the big dogs anymore ?"
His chest rumbled in amusement, warm fingers tilting her chin up to catch her gaze.
"Definitely not," he murmured, dropping a gentle kiss to her lips. "Both my sons could kick my ass to nichiyōbi without battling an eyelash."
"That must be quite a shock."
Tension stiffened his jaw and Gwen kicked herself for spoiling such a peaceful moment. Though Tōga was one those males that didn't speak about their emotions, and she made it her life mission to allow him to express himself; they needed to talk about those drastic changes, one way or another.
"I'm alright with it, as long as it is them. It's the others that are a problem."
Others…
"Dragons ?"
Tōga pivoted to the side, trapping her with both his body and an intense look that caused shivers to run down her spine. There was that murderous determination again, this spine of steel barely coated by the gentleness of his heart.
"There are things scarier than dragons out there, Gwen, and I cannot allow any of them to come near you again."
I concur. This was scary enough.
For a moment, Gwen was too ensconced in the memory of the attack to think rationally, and she buried her face in the crook of his neck. His arms tightened around her frame, shielding her from the world for a blessed moment. The young woman took a good whiff of his natural scent, nuzzling the skin of his throat until she felt strong enough to consider the future.
After all, didn't they have the strongest allies in the world? The Inu no Taishō family was hardly one to be trifled with.
"We'll figure something out," she mumbled, nose still buried against his collarbone.
Tōga retreated on his back with a deep sigh, a sound so weary that she could have wept. A blaring danger bulb flared to life in her brain and Gwen rose on her elbow, searching Tōga face. His mouth was tense, his eyes uncertain, searching for answers she was afraid to give.
"My very existence is a danger to you," he eventually stated.
No ! Wrong conclusion !
Gwen wouldn't be discarded like a courtly woman; she was no Izayoi. She had not left him on the pavement of London, facing certain death, and she sure as hell wasn't about to flee in the face of danger. They needed a good strategy, and she just knew the right person to go to.
Resolve set in, and she sat on the bed, back straight and eyes blazing.
"My mother died of monoxide intoxication. We used to pick people from the streets every day. Life is dangerous, if only because we live."
"Gwen…"
"No ! You've been the station's Captain, you know how short life can be. I refuse to be apart from you because of hypothetical danger."
Breathing hard, Gwen watched her beloved's feature close off, the steel of his character bursting forth in a wave of oppressive yōki.
Is it me, or his energy is getting stronger ?
A muscle twitched in his jaw when he levelled her with his unnatural gaze.
"How will you feel when our pups' lives are on the line ?"
Gwen froze, her mouth agape as she swallowed the words she had been about to hurl at him to prove her point.
Pups ? … Children ? Ours. Was Tōga considering having a family with her ? Warmth infused her womb at the possibility, unexpected joy at the idea of creating mixed creatures born out of them both. If then, what would she do if a yōkai showed up on her doorstep, threatening her kids ?
There was no hesitation this time, even though her whole frame trembled.
"The same as three days ago. I'll stand and fight. Plus…"
Tōga lifted an inquisitive eyebrow.
"Plus ?"
"You'll be here, right ?"
His gaze softened at that, and he pulled Gwen down for a searing kiss, his large hands crushing her close. He, too, seemed to be shaking and she dissolved in his hold.
"Hai. I'll be here. This time, I swear I'll be here."
Whether this promise was directed at her, or to the heavens remained to be determined.