You can thank marsmagari for the chapter, the review motivated me !

He lounged, still like a statue; Gwen had forgotten how to breathe. Tōga lay sprawled upon his belly, stark naked, feet dangling from the bed, head propped on his hands. His long silvery mane curtained the shimmering skin of his back, hard muscles dancing with the gentle lull of his breathing. Like a mountain lion, his power safely tucked inside until… Tendrils of energy swirled around him, brushing his skin, enveloping him in the indigo aura she now knew intimately.

Had his golden eyes not be open and fixed upon her, she would have sworn he was asleep. But his gaze told him he was anything but; it didn't stray from her form. Feeling, bold, Gwen crawled closer and, sliding her body next to his, nearly recoiled at the additional warmth. London was stifling enough at the moment, and he gave away more heat than a campfire. The call of his skin, though, hummed through her veins and she dared reaching out.

He watched, utterly still, when her hand brushed his beautiful tresses away. Long fingers danced in a featherlike caress across his spine, marvelling at the softness of his sun-kissed skin.

"So beautiful," she breathed, her hand caressing his nape and crawling down to settle on his lower back.

"I agree," he responded, his features utterly at peace.

She never thought she'd see him so relaxed. At the station, he could be vibrant and enthusiast, playful, worried, determined, or about to overthrow the whole world. But right now… he seemed absolutely content. Gwen looped her arm around his waist and tugged herself closer, settling her head over the rounded muscle of his shoulder.

She melted against him, marvelling at the sensation of his energy swirling around her, accepting her. It was but a faint hum at the edge of her consciousness, like a gentle caress. Gwen closed her eyes, and for a while, nothing existed but their little bubble of warmth. The young woman drifted off, completely at peace for the first time in years. Minutes flew, an hour, perhaps where consciousness became feeble as they basked in each other.

Eventually, a dull pain in her shoulder called her back to the world. Gwen stretched and rolled the joint around. At once, Tōga was sitting beside her, his hand palpating the muscle as she pulled the soft cotton sheet over her nether regions.

"I'm sorry for your shoulder," he rumbled, voice thick with sleep.

Gwen dismissed his worry with an incredulous scoff.

"Are you serious ? You saved my life, and took all those falling pieces in my stead. I am a walking miracle, all thanks to you."

A slight blush dusted his cheeks, and she marvelled that this genuine expression that made him look so boyish. Her eyes roamed the glorious expense of naked skin, only to land upon his knee – and clearly avoiding the inside of his thigh. In the heat of their previous activities, she had failed at spotting the bracer. Frowning, she remembered his limp.

The memory of their harsh landing in the grass, nary twelve hours ago, caused her brows to furrow. Gwen grabbed his warm hands and lifted them, finding a nasty bruise under his elbow – the one that broke the window. Then, she shuffled around him to take a good look at his back. Several bruises dusted his skin, especially across the right shoulder.

He had taken the brunt of it all, and protected her.

"We should put something on those." she stated, worry building as she inspected him from head to toe. Despite their passionate embrace, her touch was tentative. As if, now that lovemaking was over, they had become strangers once more. The truth was that Gwen still couldn't believe they had blurred that fated line in the sand.

"No", he said, putting her fears on the backburner. "It will heal soon enough. Do not worry on my account."

Suddenly, blood was rushing to her temples.

"Of course I am worrying ! Your bruises have bruises."

He seemed taken aback by her vehemence.

"Gwen…", he rumbled.

"No !" she said, and his hands came to cover her wrists. But the determination in her gaze did not falter.

Stubborn fool.

Didn't he know that, in the field of obstination, she always won ? Her father had learnt, long ago, not to struggle against her decisions. But, contrary to the great dog general, the fact that she could be subtle about it – or downright sneaky – didn't send alarm bells in people's head.

"I know you are unnaturally resistant, but it is no reason to throw you under the bus."

A mischievous smirk spread upon his lips right before he pulled her in his lap.

"Are you willing to play the bus, little lady ?" he breathed against her mouth.

Cute nickname.

The less than chaste kiss that followed muddled her brain, and she lost sight of her primary objective… until he released her.

"Hey ! I'm not that short."

And even though she was perched in his lap, he still sat taller than her. Tōga's eyebrow lifted when he stared her down.

"You are," he chuckled.

Truly vexed, Gwen swatted his chest playfully. Her hand, though, couldn't resist the hum of his skin and stayed there, nestled over his heart.

"You are the one who's insanely tall."

Tōga grinned, his eyes twinkling in the evening light.

"I think we fit perfectly together," he growled before his lips attacked her feverishly. For a moment, Gwen lost all sense of north and south, of right and wrong as his delicious tongue swiped the soft skin of her mouth. Was this what paradise felt like ? Peaceful, exciting and empowering at the same time ?

But something nibbled at her consciousness. And if Tōga was entirely too good at distracting her, she wondered why he didn't want to hear it. So, without escaping his iron hold, Gwen eventually ended the mind-blowing kiss and set her forehead against his.

"Tōga."

"Yes," he whispered, his arms tightening worryingly around her naked form.

"Your strength is a blessing and I admire the way you put it in service to others. But you're not invincible."

He scooted backwards to pin her with a blank stare, and Gwen worried she had effectively killed the mood. Going against him was a battle on its own, when both his yōki and iron will aligned to submit her to his will.

"Let me take care of you, please", she begged.

For a moment, his gaze was just indecipherable. Was she trampling upon Inu instincts ? Or just addressing a stubborn man with issues he would rather not face ? Despite her gift, Gwen found his expression so guarded that her heart quaked in fear.

Then she felt it, the settling of his wild energy. The unmistakable tension that slowly seeped out of his hold, muscles relaxing. Tōga dislodged her gently from his lap and disappeared from the room. She wanted to scream at him not to go, but her tongue was glued. It wasn't long until he returned, but those seconds tickled like little moments of eternity. Eventually, though, her glorious lover walked back with a tube of balm and a set of bandages.

"Arnica," he said. "Turn around."

Gwen obeyed without a word. His calloussed hands swept her hair away, and he dropped a kiss at the junction of her neck before spreading the balm over her shoulder. Pain shot up her muscles and she hissed, earning another set of warm kisses to soothe the ache.

"There," he said, then laid the balm in her hands and sprawled upon his belly in a position that he seemed to favour. She couldn't complain - his body was on full display - and she struggled to keep her mind on the task. There was such exhilaration of being free to touch him at will…

Tōga's bruises were extensive, and she covered every single one gently. Fortunately, the skin wasn't broken. Except on his elbow, where he allowed her to bandage the wound. He was silent as she worked, lost in thoughts. She allowed him the privacy of his musings, massaging bruises, bandaging, and spreading arnica around his knee. And once there was nothing more she could do, Tōga surprised her as he caught her by the waist and rolled over to lay his head in her lap.

Gwen reddened; she was still naked. But he seemed so incredibly at ease, folded over her legs, that her hands found his hair and started a soothing caress. His nose was so close to… Could he smell the reminder of their activities like she did ? Probably. Was it shameful ? Strangely not.

Tōga closed his eyes and hummed in contentment. As she relished in the silkiness of his unbound hair, Gwen savoured her luck. Who else had the privilege of seeing the Captain entirely relaxed, and so beautifully naked ? His hair parted between her fingers, an improbable curtain of moonlight that caressed her skin. His body started to rumble, a deep vibration of contentment that called a smile to her lips.

He purrs. Mountain lion indeed.

Emboldened by the overgrown pet sprawled in her lap, Gwen traced the sharp ridge of his straight nose, then massaged the corner of his eyes, his jaw, his chin. He was too beautiful to exist and yet, she was permitted to touch him. Reality was so much richer than any fantasy she might have conjured. Too bad she didn't know how to draw, for the ridges of his muscles and the beauty of his features should have been painted.

"How am I going to go without your skin for entire days ?" she mused.

Golden eyes snapped open, drilling into her with the intensity of a tidal wave.

"Why would you have to ?"

Gwen shrugged; surely he wouldn't want her here all the time, right ? And they couldn't go around gallivanting their relationship in the station; it wouldn't be too proper.

"No mingling at work, right ? Can't really touch you in front of the guys."

"Of course you can."

The tone was not harsh, but he brooked no argument. Startled by his determination, Gwen's fingers paused.

"But… don't you think people will scream favouritism ?"

Tōga's posture shifted in the blink of an eye. His face rushed to hers so fast that she nearly fell backwards; heart thundering, she realised he was now sitting by her side.

"I trust you to do your job, regardless of how much you've seen of me. As long as you respect the chain of command, I can state my claim."

State his claim. Wow. A compliment, wrapped in a demand… and strangely, the independent, modern woman that was Gwen didn't feel belittled by those very possessive words.

"I will," she nodded, touched by his trust.

His fingers flexed, pulling taut some cords of muscles on his forearm.

"And if people have something to complain about, they can always challenge me."

Challenge him. The memory of boxing gloves tickled her mind, and she cocked her head aside.

"Is that what happened with Mark ? Did he issue a challenge ?"

Uneasiness flickered in Tōga's beloved golden eyes.

"Mark… not really…"

Gwen was hanging on his every word, and the Captain sheepishly scratched his nape.

"I challenged him."

"Why ?"

When he saw she wouldn't be deterred, his countenance became serious again.

"He was feeding rumours. He needed to be taught his place."

Spoken like a true alpha… but she sensed a story there, and wanted more than the scraps he was offering.

"What kinds of rumours ?"

A pregnant pause filled the room, and Gwen wondered if she'd gone too far. So when Tōga started to speak, she nibbled on her lip and listened.

"Listen, I'm alright with the pool bet about my age because I'm the Captain, and people wanting to know more is natural. But I don't tolerate colleagues spreading rumours about others, it breaks the team spirit."

What could she possibly respond to that ?

"All right ?"

She could have left it at that, but the sight of Gwen's puzzled expression pushed him further than he was comfortable. After all, it concerned her. Tōga sighed.

"Mark told his teammates that you, erm, you liked women."

Gwen choked on her saliva and coughed. Then she burst out laughing, her merriment rising to the heavens in the intimacy of his bedroom. If Tōga had not expected such amusement, he revelled in the tinkle of her laugh all the same. Lips quirking, he watched his little woman wipe a tear at the corner of her eye.

"Well, if you were wondering, now you know what I like."

Teasing temptress. Discarding the remnants of his ire towards Mark, Tōga slightly bent forward to crowd Gwen's personal space.

"You could be bisexual," he drawled.

Instead of backing off, she lifted a perfectly shaped eyebrow.

"Would it matter if I was ?"

Taken aback, Tōga found himself growling at the idea.

No sharing.

Amused, Gwen giggled and crawled to him. "Sorry," she murmured against his lips. "How about you ? Men, women, both ?"

Oh she wanted to play. Little did she know that he'd been dubbed a charmer by his first wife, five centuries ago, and had not lost an inch of this infamous charm. And so, stealing a feather like kiss, he just smiled.

"I'm definitely into you."

The blush that crept up her cheeks was his best reward, and Tōga indulged in another kiss before he retreated to admire his work.

Game over.

"That shade of red really becomes you," he stated smugly.

Embarrassed, Gwen's palms reached for her heated cheeks. He took in the sight with contentment; she was so easily flustered, his little lady… Smiling, Tōga tried to rein in his possessiveness. Yes, they had slept together, and the fact that she was still there, asking to care for him, had caused hope to swell in his chest.

It didn't keep the fear at bay, though. If he allowed his expectations to rise, would she crush them altogether ? Did she really want a possessive old man in her life, or would she walk away ? Mulling over those depressing thoughts would drag him down – he knew – but the damage Izayoi had done still haunted him.

What would the Inu no Taishō say in face of his insecurities ? His past self had always been so confident. Could he allow Gwen to come that close ? The risk was so great…

"Do you, erm. Do you have any idea why he said that ?"

Wrenched from his doubts, Tōga shrugged.

"Jolyne, I guess."

"That's preposterous!" she protested. "People are allowed to have friends ! And I'm the cuddling type."

Good news. So am I.

And thus, fed up with the distance, Tōga tugged her naked body closer so that he could engulf her in his arms. There, with her back nestled against his front, he could afford to speak about another man's crush on his little lady. The truth was that Mark had been very sore.

"He was pissed you rejected him."

"I didn't…", she started. Then she turned to him, her eyes rounded comically. "What ?"

Tōga shifted her in his arms to catch her eyes.

"I transferred you to Erik because Mark was getting a little clingy."

The young woman made a perfect impression of a fish caught out of the water before she chuckled in shock.

"I didn't realise."

Her ignorance earned an eye roll.

"You never seem to get on when the guys flirt with you."

"Guys flirt with me ?"

An incredulous laugh escaped his lips. He'd come across so many ladies that played hard to get, but he had to admit that Gwen's obliviousness was even more endearing. The guys that lined up at her door had no idea she wasn't toying with their affection.

"Are you that clueless ?" he asked.

"I… uh"

Tōga shook his head, and bestowed a light kiss on the bridge of her little nose.

"Then you are clueless."

"No. Or yes, maybe. I'm just…"

She was getting flustered, and agitated, and he couldn't understand what he'd said wrong. Until her next words delivered a swift punch to his stomach, stealing the breath in his lungs.

"I'm madly in love with you, that's why !" she blurted.

His heart stuttered, rolling over the edge of a cliff in a rush of emotions that were completely uncontrollable. In love with you. And somehow, carding through the thousands of words he wanted to tell her, none of them came out.

"You are ?" he eventually choked.

Her hand came to rest upon his heart once more, his eager organ of life vibrating through her fingers.

"Yeah. It took me a while to accept it."

He was pleased that no hesitation coloured her tone, but he needed to know why acceptance had been such an issue… did she find him inadequate ? Was it the yōkai inheritance ?

"Why ?" he asked, golden gaze locked with stormy grey. She smiled at him, her second hand cupping his jaw tenderly.

"Because I thought I could never have you. You were too unattainable for me to dream I could ever be that person for you."

Ridiculous. But Gwen wasn't done breaking him to pieces, only to reconstruct him. With bated breath, he watched her as she laid her trust into his hands without an ounce of fear.

"But the truth is my heart is yours, and only yours, and there's nothing I want to do about it."

This time, Tōga thought he would stop breathing entirely. Her confession was so exhilarating, so ground shattering that his mind blanked entirely. In the midst of hopes and doubts, yearning and longing, he felt entirely inadequate. But the world didn't crumble around him, and Gwen still lounged in his arms as if he had become her entire world.

And then, he realised she had become his a long time ago.

So he tried to show her how strongly he felt for her the only way he knew how. Diving for her lips, he laid Gwen down upon the mattress and pressed his body to hers.

"Again ?" she asked, breathless, skin sliding against his.

He only grunted, nuzzling her neck. She laughed then, and encased him in the heaven of her legs.

"Well, you can't keep a good dog down after all."