"Knock knock."
Her voice was tentative, the words almost a question. Tōga sucked in a breath; it was the first time Gwen voluntarily came to his office. Unit leads did barge in every so often, but the recruits had little reasons to bother the station's mighty Captain.
Locking eyes with her, Tōga tried to assess whether her reasons were those he dreaded. Given her posture, half-hidden behind the door frame, the answer was plain.
"Am I interrupting?"
Gathering his courage, the Captain shook his head with a welcoming smile.
"Not at all. I was about to take a break…"
Gwen was still frozen, her grey eyes wide.
"I … uh. I came to discuss some papers."
Tōga's heart rate increased drastically, but he kept his neutral expression in place.
"Close the door, Gwen, and take a seat."
The young woman shut the door without a noise, her moves gentle as she slowly lowered herself to the chair in front of his desk. She seemed so ill at ease that a horrible doubt started to creep up his spine.
She hated it. Or worse, she thinks I'm crazy.
Both thoughts swirled in his mind, taking root in the deepest recesses of his soul. Eventually, tongue half glued to his mouth, he broke the uneasy silence.
"You read it?"
"I read it," she nodded.
When she added nothing more, seemingly searching for the right words, Tōga took the lead.
"My style if pretty awful…"
Gwen's head snapped up, her gaze trapping his. It felt like watching a blade descend upon him without any means to dodge it. Tōga never lacked courage; he'd always faced death head on.
"The style in irrelevant, Taishō."
He cringed; trust Gwen not to sugarcoat. Suddenly, the bluntness he usually enjoyed left a sour taste in his mouth. Her flustered state made no doubt; Gwen was fidgeting in her seat, and her cheeks darkened. Her nervousness echoed to his, and he felt his lungs constrict in his chest, chains coiling around his frame to smother him.
He snapped.
Tōga suddenly reached for his top drawer, pulling it open with such force that Gwen jumped. The little box regarded him challengingly; would he dare? Fed up with the tension, the Captain reached for it and set it down on his desk, balanced over paperwork.
"Dig in," he said, pulling up the lid to reveal a set of dark chocolates he'd bought a few days prior in a French chocolaterie.
Gwen's expression brightened, the sparkle returning to her grey eyes.
"Really?"
"Yes. You're my chocolate expert, I need to know if they are worth the price."
Elegant fingers chose a little brown square with a pensive hum and she popped the treat in her mouth. A moan of delight escaped her as she munched on the chocolate and, just for that sound, he decided they were well worth the hassle.
"Those are delicious. Where did you get them?"
"If you manage to say your piece, I'll give you the address," he teased.
Gwen sobered at once, but her shoulders were less tense as she sent him a sideways look that reminded him of a cat. Then, she took a deep breath.
"By giving me those writings, you trusted me with something … very private," she started. There was no doubt the words were rehearsed, but she kept going, searching his gaze. "So I'm going to return the favour, because I trust you."
There was nothing new in that confession, but it warmed him to the core. Choosing not to speak – she was on a roll – he only nodded.
"I have a gift. My little brother calls it the sight."
Tōga's eyebrows rose; he certainly wasn't expecting this. Curiosity won the battle and he bent over the desk with an intense look.
"How does it work?"
Gwen seemed to deflate slightly, and he wondered if she'd been as nervous about this as he was. Did she think he would call her crazy? As she started recounting her visions encompassing past, future and present, he mulled over their similarities. Was it the reason why she felt safe to confide in? Why it always seemed that she pierced him through with a look?
In the feudal era, she would have been revered as a seer. Or burnt at the stake by Christians, depending on the year.
"I'm not telling you this to…"
Tōga's eyebrow lifted.
" … whatever. The reason I'm telling you this it because I saw the markings of the Inu no Taishō on your face."
Thunder landing at his feet would have been less striking. The marking? On his face?
"When?" he breathed, heart in his throat.
"The day you wrestled the garage door."
The news left him strangely dizzy and he braced his weight on the desk.
"Are you sure?" he murmured, his voice so low that it rumbled in his chest.
Gwen nodded, her features worried.
"I also saw your eyes blink red. This time, and that night we were attacked. I thought I was crazy, at first, but now that I've read…"
Tōga reclined in his seat, calling forth his rational mind to crush that little voice that was screaming inside of him. I told you so, you damn fool! His voice was strangely appeased when he concluded:
"It all makes a lot of sense."
"Yes," she confirmed without an ounce of doubt. In this moment, Tōga realised that she not only believed him, but she was actually advocating his case with the strength of her supernatural perceptions. Something uncoiled in his chest, as if a part of his soul had been ripped free. For the first time since forever, hope bloomed in the recesses of his mind, calling forth his inner nature rather than repressing it. The feeling was … liberating.
"Captain?"
Gwen's uncertainty pulled him down to earth, and he only lifted an eyebrow.
"Are you…", she started, licking her lips. "Are you Yōkai?"
The question was as logical as it was crazy, yet Gwen was perfectly serious. He rushed to reassure her.
"No … I was born like you and me in the 20th century. I remember being a boy, and growing up. I'm … a ningen, as the Inu no Taishō would say."
The true year of his birth remained secret, though, because it didn't make much sense. That slight twinge of fear that needled his belly told him there was more to it than that. Why? After giving her so much insight about himself, why would he care about giving that little piece of truth? Would she care about that?
Gwen addressed him with that piercing look that he now knew to be the sight; if she knew he was hiding something, she allowed it to slide.
"Then your soul is."
The certainty of that statement struck him in the chest with such force that he had to whip his lungs to keep them functioning.
"Are you alright?"
A wane smile quirked his lips, slightly incredulous. And for once, Tōga didn't mind being vulnerable. After all, Gwen could see everything he was, and had been in a heartbeat. Why hide from her?
"I … yes. I've always suspected, but to have you confirm it is… Sorry. I just don't have words for it."
She nodded.
"I cannot even fathom what a shock it must be."
Tōga just smiled, basking in the revelation for a moment until his mind looked for a distraction. They reached for the box of chocolate at the same time; great minds think alike. Her fingers brushed his as she stole a treat, sending tingles all the way down his spine.
"Sorry," she stuttered, her cheeks reddening.
Tōga dismissed her apology with a concomitant noise, too engrossed in the recent revelations and distracted by her lovely blush to form consistent thoughts. As they munched on their respective chocolates, caramel filling coating on his tongue pleasantly, their eyes met. For a moment, he just held her gaze, sharing the greatest secret of his life with this quiet slip of a girl. After a while, she sucked her index finger and smiled.
"So what about the silver hair?"
"Gold eyes and white hair are the sign of the Inu clan."
"So you are canine," she exclaimed, delighted by the discovery. "And this is why I see your eyes golden so often."
Relief fell upon him like a beam eaten by fire; there was no warning, no sign of appeal before he realised she was the first person to see the whole of him. His heart danced, almost missing the curling of her mouth as she gave him a mischievous smile.
"I'm more of a cat person, I hope we won't be fighting like cats and dogs."
He snorted; she definitely would have been a panther Yōkai with her feline grace.
"Don't go there, Gwen," he growled playfully.
Her smile widened, all tension erased now that the secret was out.
"Well, I've been working like a dog."
"So you'll be sleeping like a log?" he asked.
Her eyes sparkled from the reference – the Beatles – and he settled against his office chair with contentment.
"What else have you seen, Gwen?"
"Not much. But I'm sure that if you actually tell me more, I might be able to find out."
Eyebrows rising in confusion, Tōga realised she was waiting expectantly. And so, he endeavoured to recount the tale of his past week's dreams, ignoring how her piercing look was fixed upon his form. As he spoke, she suddenly grabbed a pencil and a piece of paper and started doodling. He paused; she dismissed him with a gesture that meant 'go on'. And so he did, until she lifted the paper to show him a crude drawing of … him.
The Inu no Taishō, with markings upon his cheeks and a pelt trailing down his back. His kimono was layered, an armour with spikes overlapping the stripes at his shoulder and a white hakama gathered at the ankle, dark boots covering his feet.
"Wow," he breathed.
"Yeah," she smirked. "You rocked."
Tōga lifted his nose in the air like a noble whose soup was spoilt.
"That past tense is offensive."
Gwen giggled at his antics, and he felt proud that he was the one making her laugh. Just as she reached out for the picture again, the door was yanked open. He dropped the sheet over the box of chocolates hastily, glaring at the intruder. Unfazed, Mark gave him a suspicious look.
"Sorry," he started, sounding absolutely non-apologetic. Then his eyes narrowed when he spotted Gwen. "I am interrupting something?"
Tōga had to suppress the urge to strangle his lead unit. Mark was the type of man admired by most ladies. Lovely face, nice bulky body, he probably wasn't used to being rejected. The fact that Gwen was absolutely clueless about his interest might be steering the fire of jealousy; he needed to protect her.
"Nothing of importance," Tōga retorted. "What's up?"
"The team's back. We need you for debrief."
He stood, adorning the usual mask of authority that kept his subordinates on his toes.
"I'm on my way. Gwen, thank you for your time."
The little lady kept her face neutral, murmuring a quiet "You're welcome" before he strode away from his office and into the busy life of a fire station Captain.
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