That woman didn't walk, she sauntered. He'd overheard her former unit leader – Mark - say Gwen had stopped classical dancing years ago, but everything in her still thrummed with the art. For the moment, though, her catlike grace was turning into tension as she waited at the bar for her friend's drinks. A young man was brushing elbows with her, talking her ear off, unable to see that his attention was making her very uncomfortable.
Granted, with that flowing skirt and black bodice, she looked pretty stunning… if inappropriately too young. The dark of her dancer top really enhanced the multiple colours her hair, tawny and lighter brown mingled in the braid that fell over her shoulder. No doubt that the young man was properly enthralled by the grey of her eyes, or the flush upon her cheekbones – it was rather stifling in there after all.
Tōga took a sip of his scotch – the third of the night - finding himself slightly buzzed. And hesitating; a strange feeling. Gwen could take care of herself, but she was one of his youngest recruits, and his instincts screamed at him to stride to the young man that couldn't take no for an answer and shove his face hard on the bar counter.
"Hey, Tōga, what do you think ?"
Stephen was the only one that called him by his name. Ten years he'd worked with the resident doctor and, albeit he had remarked that he always healed quickly, Stephen only shrugged it off. It wasn't lack of curiosity but respect that stalled his questions, and Tōga was grateful for the unassuming friendship.
Pulling his attention away from Gwen, the station commander – Captain, as they called him – joined the latest gossip about the new Chief. The reprieve didn't last long. Erik – 2nd unit lead - banged his hand on the table. Jolyne barely had time to tug at his arm to pull him down before he rushed to the bar.
"You know she'll bite your head off if you play the dominant male", she scolded.
Intrigued, Tōga lifted an eyebrow to his lead officers, earning a huff from Jolyne.
"Erik wants to break the guy's arm", she translated, her round chin pointing to Gwen at the bar. The Captain frowned; she was still stuck between that young man and another one's back. Light brown eyes narrowed in annoyance. Yes, Gwen would definitely bite Erik's head off, or anyone that might come to her aid, arguing she could take care of herself. But she wouldn't dare rising her voice to him, and the tension in her shoulders was enough to for him to growl. That young man had no right to touch what wasn't his !
Tōga downed his whiskey in one go and stood, oblivious to the shocked look Jolyne sent him.
"Wait !", she tried.
To no avail; Tōga was a man on a mission. To protect his own. People skittered out of his way naturally; no one wanted to face a pissed off, slightly buzzed Captain.
Gwen almost jumped out of her skin when a warm hand slid around her waist, tugging her against an insanely tall frame. She had been so focused on the young man by her side – to ensure he didn't touch her again – that she had failed at checking her surroundings.
Ready to retaliate, she twisted aside brusquely, only to find the warm amber eyes gazing down at her with a clear warning.
Don't.
And despite the fact that she could catch the ploy easily, Gwen allowed her body to melt against the tall frame of her protector, taking in his fragrance discreetly. He was warm, vibrant, so full of life beside her. Struggling with the sensation, she took in his clenched jaw when he turned to the youth by her side.
"Get lost", he growled. "She's not interested."
Blue eyes spread wide, and the guy nodded once or twice nervously before taking off, terrified to death. Gwen sniggered; who, in their right mind, would dare crossing the mighty Captain when he was in such a destructive mood ? His aura danced in twirling thread of anger around him; she could almost see it. Yet, she was immune, for the contact of his flank against hers was welcoming.
Feeling sheepish for enjoying his proximity so much, Gwen waited for him to move away, only to realise his state of inebriation. His hand landed around her shoulders, his weight partially resting on top of her and she braced herself in case he toppled over. Strangely, he seemed perfectly in control of his balance.
The barman eventually handed her Jolyne's beer and her rhum cocktail and she made to go, but a warm hand squeezed her shoulder.
"Wait for me", he commanded, asking for another stiff drink.
His voice rumbled in his chest, the echo vibrating through her side. Cheeks flaming, she tried to argue that she was hardly in danger now that he'd chased away the guy that bothered her, but he only leant further in, his hot breath curling on her ear.
"Do you remember what I tell every new recruit ?", he drawled.
Gwen shivered, his overwhelming presence impairing her thoughts. Eventually, the bulb blinked in her mind and her lips curled.
My wish is your command.
This is what Taishō drilled into the newbies' mind, if only to have them obey without questions in times of emergency. Gwen nodded, wondering what her commander had in mind when he straightened, his arm retreating to catch a shot of liquor.
"Then stay put beside me. No one will dare coming within a ten foot radius."
Gwen chuckled this time, and followed his lead to the corner their units had claimed for the night. Apparently, the buzzed Captain was in a stubborn mood and squeezed in the booth to get her a seat beside him. Slightly flustered, the young woman settled, handing Jolyne her beer and diving her nose into the cocktail. The sweetness didn't erase the subtle scent of the gorgeous male pressed beside her, but it was enough to capture her attention as conversations resumed – peppered with lewd jokes, a few drinking songs, and the usual barking laughs.
Gwen resumed her silent vigil, ever watchful of the people that surrounded her. She had always been a silent one, closed off the world. Her mother's death only enhanced a natural trait; if she partook in the festivities, she wasn't one of those that would end up dancing on the table.
There was so much to discover when you took time to observe; the way Jolyne slightly pursed her lips after taking a sip of her beer. How women eyed the piece of candy that was her Captain with both envy and jealousy, how Erik – her unit lead - had caught the eye of a lovely redhead at the bar. Simple things, as well, filed up in her mind, building the giant puzzle of life.
Mannerisms and unconscious ticks. One of those being how their Captain sometimes tugged at the crewneck collar of his t-shirt, as if the garment was too constricting at his throat. Or how, when agitated, his thumb kneaded a particular spot on his chest that seemed to bring him pain.
The sturdy presence of said Captain at her side lulled her into a deep sense of contentment; with him by her side, she didn't have to partake into any kind of required stupidity. His charm and easy going manners attracted enough focus that she could disappear in his shadow – especially inebriated. And so the evening went, until her protector turned the tables on her and addressed her directly.
"Do you believe in reincarnation, Gwen ?"
Shaken out of her musings, the young woman blinked, only to find a pair of light brown eyes vying for her attention. Strange, for a moment, she would have sworn they shone golden.
"Uh ? Oh, I've never thought of it."
The alcohol on his breath was heavier, and his body rested heavily upon her shoulder now. The Captain was drunk. Somehow, the very concept that he was faillible like a normal human threw her for a loop; there was something unsettling about him. Some hidden strength, as if he could take on the world and walk away unscathed. A shiver ran up her spine when he bent aside, closer to her ear.
"I've had this dreams", he rumbled, voice low. "Dreams about Yokai. They make a lot of sense, it's like a story that unravels."
The concept peaked her interest, and she started asking more question. So he told her of that great dog general – the Inu no Taishō – and his two sons. Of puryfing miko – what the hell was that ? – and traditions that blew her mind. Gwen drank his words faster than her cocktail, cheeks ablaze from both the alcohol and her ignorance about Japanese folklore. She'd learnt of Kanji, katakana and hiragana in her curriculum, and official history, the same history written by the victors.
But of Yokai… next to nothing. And, as the Captain seemed to ramble, his voice low and their colleagues distracted, his eyes flashed gold once more. Gwen started; she couldn't be that drunk, right ? In the back of her mind, the memory of the sight annoyingly hammered. She dismissed it, her attention fully captured by the tall, gorgeous and totally inebriated man by her side. His state allowed her to take a good look at him without being too obvious.
Chiselled jaw, tanned skin, large – golden ? – eyes, hair white as snow, so long that it fell to the small of his back even with the high ponytail. His nose was straight, and not too pronounced; an heritage from his Japanese father, maybe ? The heavy eyebrows, strangely dark, contrasted so much with his silvery hair that it gave him an alluring air – as if he needed it ! The man was so magnetic that once caught in his area of influence, the eye couldn't settle anywhere else.
Still… where did that hair colouring came from ? Would a white-blond mother countereffect the Japanese jet black ? Wasn't the dark gene dominant ? Somehow, Gwen realised she got caught in her contemplation because he now regarded her with an infuriating smirk tugging the corner of his lips.
Oops.
"Sorry. So… Yokai ? What do they look like ?"
A pensive look overtook his features, and Gwen feared she might have asked the wrong question.
"I… they have a human form, but it's not their natural one."
Perhaps he wasn't so drunk after all, because this was a skillfull evasion. And so, emboldened by the alcohol that now flooded her own veins, she set a hand upon his – clothed - upper arm and smiled.
"You know… you should write all of this down. It is a fantastic story, and I bet I wouldn't be the only one happy to read it."
Surprise settled on his face, and she wondered why hope seemed to shine so strongly in those orbs that kept switching to gold.
"You would read it ?"
"Of course, I'm a sucker for good legends."
Little did she know that her suggestion was about to shift the entire world off its axis.
So, what do you think it coming ? Review make my days, don't be shy.