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Gwen nearly picked her jaw out of the floor when she found him in the living room with a button up shirt. Five months into their relationship, and she'd never seen him with anything more formal than the uniform jacket. Whether in his past life, or in the army, Tōga had been constricted in formal clothing far too much to his liking.

Today, though, he'd taken the gala outfit out of the closet. And damn… How could a man be so gorgeous in slacks and a simple shirt? Thank God for small victories, he wasn't wearing a waistcoat; she feared she might lose her mind entirely the day he adorned a three-piece suit. Her heart, on the other hand, was already lost…

For a moment, Gwen wondered if she would ever be enough; after all, Tōga was part yōkai. He would age gracefully, and always exude this otherworldly aura that turned every single head. Men and women alike always did a second take when he walked in the streets in his uniform, and not only because of the silver ponytail that danced like a tail behind him.

Tōga was utterly magnetic and magnificent.

She, on the other side, was just a human with a gift. The sight. It didn't make her more attractive, even though she found herself pretty acceptable. Gwen possessed none of this magnetic aura, or this overwhelming presence that made him so attractive. Sometimes, she even wondered what he saw in her, but his tenderness and care were as true as his heart. Tōga loved her; he was a miracle in her life… and worth the dress she'd decided to wear this evening at his behest.

The Inu pendant fell upon her bare collarbone, a stark reminder that she had yet to fulfil her promise to pose naked. But they had a full life before them after all, right ?

Gwen fidgeted with the golden necklace as she watched him, tall and proud, hands in his pockets. He awaited the lady of the house, as he always called her. Head cocked aside, he turned at the sound of her breathing. One look from him was all it took to settle her fears, for love and wonder shone in his golden orbs. How he could gaze upon her with such a wistful expression always baffled her…

One quick stride was all it took for him to grab her hand and kiss her knuckles.

"My lady, you are resplendent."

Gwen's cheeks heated; who cared if she was up to the world's standard as long as Tōga was happy ? Given the joyful glow that danced in his mesmerising irises, doubt was not permitted.

"You, sir, are a charmer."

"Only for you."

Gwen felt the very moment his yōki embraced her, right before his arm snaked around her waist and his lips touched her cheek in a tender kiss. For a moment, Tōga laid his forehead against her hair and remained still; she knew he was basking in her scent. Hard muscles flex under her touch through the white cotton when her hand circled his lower back.

"The air is crisp tonight. Do you want me to call a cab ?"

"Nah, walking is good. I can put those boots I bought during the fall."

Tōga nodded, grabbing his leather jacket before he helped her with her long coat. Autumn had settled heavily upon London, unexpected frosting episodes causing tons of phone calls at the station for people that didn't anticipate slippery sidewalks. If tonight didn't bring snow, the temperature was still flirting under 5 degrees.

But neither of them possessed a car, and Gwen enjoyed her walking. Tonight, Tōga was taking her to a restaurant owned by an old friend from the army. She was giddy to discover more about his life – apart from Stephen, the resident doctor, he didn't speak much of friends. And given his particularities, she wasn't much surprised he'd had trouble bonding with usual humans. People his age were bound to drift away.

Gwen zipped the Victorian boots with satisfaction; the black button up traditional shoes gave her mid-calf length dress a sophisticated air. And the one-inch heel was well balanced and comfortable enough to cover the mile distance on paved streets without fear of aching feet.

"I'll take an umbrella, just in case," she said.

Tōga extended a hand to grab it, then another one to encase her gloved fingers. Then they were off. The couple saluted a few firemen on the way down; their walking hand in hand had become such a daily occurrence that no one batted an eyelash anymore.

Except for Mark who tended to twitch in annoyance. Bah, who cared ? Once more, Tōga had been right; as long as Gwen respected the chain of command, she was above reproach. On his side, the Captain had squished rumours with a few well-placed comments, and the occasional challenge. The fact that he didn't make preferences for her, and left Erik in charge most of the time helped a lot. With them both being very private people, there was no flaunting in the fire station; the fact that she could read him with a look, and convey her meaning with a smile helped them remain discreet. Now, everyone knew that Gwen was the Captain's lady, period.

Lost to the rest of the world, they walked, trading a few words or not at all, watching the sun set upon the city that had brought them together. They passed the Thames and its crazy traffic jams, yearning for greener pastures; neither of them enjoyed living in a city so much. But it was there that their fates had intertwined, and they were loath to let it go. Little did they know that the choice would be taken from their hands nary a few hours from there.

The carefree couple made it to a middle-class restaurant where they were greeted by a jovial man in his fifties. Ben gave Tōga a heavy accolade with his one remaining arm, displaying camaraderie born from shared hardships. The barrel-chested man then smiled at Gwen, hazel eyes twinkling in delight.

"Hello missus," he told her, shaking her hand silly. "You're a lovely jewel, I'm glad the old geezer finally has someone at his arm."

"I'm not old," Tōga deadpanned with a glare while Gwen hid her smile with a glove.

Ben's eyes squinted, taking in his appearance with a sigh.

"Damn it Moonhound, do you ever age ?"

Tōga shrugged; this was the reason why, after a few decades, he always put some distance with old friends. Ben's crow-feet at the corner of his eyes betrayed his half-century, while he remained fit like a fiddle. For a while, he'd been able to claim that Asians tended to age less noticeably…

"Moonhound ?" Gwen asked.

Nice interruption, my little lady.

Her honest curiosity wrapped Ben around her little finger, and he dragged them both in the restaurant while regaling her with tales of their shared past in the army.

"That guy could smell anything coming at us. It was so handy that we kept him with us at all times. Animals, human, powder… danger. Did you know danger has a smell ?"

Gwen shook her head earnestly.

"Well, Hound knows."

His little lady gave him a sideways glance.

"That's a very fitting nickname, darling."

He grinned back at the term of endearment and he titled towards her to explain:

"It was the smell that lured me to Ben. He can turn anything edible."

"This explains that," she nodded in that pensive look of hers; he would have to recount stories of his past. Stories of the war. Not the most gruesome ones, neither how Ben had lost his arm to shrapnels. But the late evenings around a fire, in the desert, cooking the Kami knew what would certainly entertain her. And this time a sand viper slithered in between his legs, scaring the shit out of them all.

A grateful smile spread on his face as Ben introduced them to their table. Candles flickered in the secluded corner, creating a cosy atmosphere where two seats awaited, side by side rather than face to face.

The Chef had turned his earlier instructions into the prefect atsmopshere. Quiet and romantic. Ben turned to him, a question burning in his eyes and Tōga nodded his assent.

"Thank you, Cooks."

A mischievous grin pulled at the corner of Ben's dry lips.

"Enjoy your evening."

The burly man left them to their own devices, and Tōga pulled Gwen's chair to have her seated before he retreated to his own. Her grey eyes were wide, taking in every little detail of the room and their beautiful table. The candles floated in a bowl of water adorned with flower petals, napkins neatly folded. Ben had outdone himself to create the best possible mood. Now, the rest was up to him.

Thank you, old friend.

"This is so beautiful. Your friend is a dear."

"I wanted this night to be special. We don't go out often…"

In between their respective shifts, they only shared a full day a week – during which emergencies sometimes happened. Most nights were spent lounging with homemade cooking, or with Gwen helping the rewrite of his story. Their online posting of said tale got quite a few reactions, especially on the other side of the continent. At night, they often read comments together, touched that the Inu no Taishō's tale would touch so many people, and not only from Japan.

On lazy days, they indulged in take-out and, sometimes, a movie. Life with Gwen was simple; she didn't require expensive gifts, didn't enjoy crowdy events and lived mostly for her music. When she curled around him on the sofa, or when he awoke with her literally sleeping upon him, nothing seemed to matter other than the feel of her skin. Gwen could transform any moment into a romantic, peaceful setting.

"I don't mind. I like being at home with you. But this is nice."

Tōga nodded; she considered his place home, and he wasn't about to detract her from that line of thought. First part of the plan, check.

They both perused the menu, knowing that whatever was ordered would probably end up being shared anyway, and ended up asking for red wine to compliment the duck and piece of rare beef. Conversation was easy, and playful as they waited for their dishes. A waiter filled up two glasses of deep Bordeaux wine, in the meantime, and they clinked them together.

"To us," Tōga said.

Gwen lifted an eyebrow; his little lady wasn't completely oblivious; her finesse ensured he could never keep something away from her. But that little velvet box that weighed in the pocket of his jacket wasn't heavy enough to rush him.

Tōga had yet to meet Gwen's family; they planned to spend Christmas together. In his time, matches were made by the parents, and children rolled with it. Should he ask her father beforehand before he popped the question ? Would she freak out that it was too early ?

"So, sell me your secrets. How do you think I can impress your father ?"

Gwen blinked, taken aback by his question.

"For Christmas," he added, just in case she became suspicious of his line of thought. The young woman shook her head.

"Just be yourself. You have culture and humour, both things he will appreciate. Little brother will be more difficult."

Tōga arched his usual eyebrow, knowing that his little lady would pick the message and elaborate.

"My brother is pretty protective and will lose himself in psychological profiles and considerations. Such as the fact that you're my boss."

"Well, I had misgivings about that as well," he sighed, drinking another mouthful of excellent wine. Gwen pinned him with a warning look; he found himself amused that his little lady, all dolled up and seemingly harmless, could address the reincarnation of a powerful yōkai such a challenging gaze.

"Now, you know it wouldn't make a difference, right ? You don't need the title to be impressive."

Tōga nodded. Gwen respected and understood the constraints of being the commander, and she supported him in the role without faltering. Her misgivings were always laid out behind closed doors – and they were few – never when he barked orders. The hero worship had been replaced by true admiration.

"My father knows that. He always said I was pretty determined as a child, and that the guy that would want me would have to have a spine of steel. I bet he'll be satisfied enough with yours."

Well, he mused. The man was perceptive enough to know that his quiet daughter hid a will that rivalled his own. Funny, how people thought she could be pushed around because she avoided unnecessary confrontations. Gwen wasn't one for show of strength. Her life was dedicated to saving others; being in the spotlight never interested her.

Their complementarity was perfect in this regard. Sneakily, Tōga took a sip of his wine and watched her. The doggie necklace rested right upon the creamy expense of her collarbone, any tan from the summer gone by now. The deep red dress ended at her elbows, and she had covered the exposed skin with delicately knitted wristlets.

"You know, those paws really give a kitten vibe."

Gwen smiled, her eyes twinkling in the light of the candle.

"They are from Norway."

Tōga nodded; Gwen had mentioned a trip on the west coast of Scandinavia with her mother. Somewhere in her ancestry resided a few Vikings, a usual feature for British people. Her awed description of the country and its expenses of wild forests tumbling down the high cliffs had caused his inner instincts to salivate.

"We visited the Oleana factory once, mum got me those. It's way too expensive to be bought full price, but at the factory it was affordable."

From the relaxed expression upon her face, Tōga surmised this was a nice memory. How he wanted to offer her the world… she deserved it all. He wasn't rich, per se, but he'd worked for thirty years and wasn't a spendthrift. The savings that slept on his bank account would probably be better spent on her behalf; how about a honeymoon? She would probably look ravishing in a bikini, lounging on white sands with transparent waters lapping at her skin.

Reaching out for Gwen's hand, he squeezed her smooth flesh.

"They suit you. You look beautiful."

His voice was slightly breathy, and the general buried within his soul recoiled at his flustering. The dominant instinct battled a moment with his emotional core until Tōga begged them to shut the hell up. There was nothing wrong with being completely taken with his mate, right ?

Wait… Mate ?

A waiter interrupted his musings, bringing two plates so overloaded that Gwen laughed, the sounds of her amusement tinkling like bells.

"I'll never eat all of it. Do you think we can ask for a doggy bag ?"

Tōga's lips curved. Day after day, she always found new dog expression to throw in his lap.

"That's certainly not the dog's dinner," he retorted.

She laughed again, grey eyes twinkling, then attacked her meal with a hearty appetite. He, in turn, eyed the massive piece of rare steak with envy and dug in. Of course, Gwen stole fries from his plate while he, in turn, snuck out a few roasted potatoes from her pile. In the end, though, they just switched plates. The duck was delicious, melting under his tongue with its thick wine salsa.

"Oh !" Gwen suddenly exclaimed, taking his attention away from his meal. "I adore that song."

Music. Nothing could make her vibrate more than a song… except for him, of course. Leaning aside, Tōga tried to discern what had her little lady so giddy.

"It's one of James Blunt. I'll be your man. It is so like you."

The lyrics floated in the air, and he took a moment to listen to the words, watching Gwen's delicious lips wrap around her fork with delight.

"Slide over here, let your hands feel the way
There's no better method to communicate
Girl, stop your talking, words just get in the way.
I'll be your man
So baby come over,

from the end of the sofa

I'll be your man"

Tōga couldn't help but chuckle at the very blunt words.

"This is how it happened for us, right ?" Gwen told him. "A cuddle and you're my man. Simple as that."

Bluntly summarised, but not too far from the mark. Inuyōkai enjoyed physical affection, and now that summer had receded, he could unleash the full extend of his cuddliness. True, he'd claimed Gwen as his with a hug and a kiss, and he constantly reminded her how her body pleased him just as much as her mind. The question was…

"How do you feel about that ?" he asked, his voice caressing her senses with dripping honey.

Gwen contemplated her response for a moment, her eyes roaming his face.

"I… relieved. You're here, you're not going anywhere and you're mine. What could a woman ask for, really ?"

So simple, so true…

His throat suddenly felt tight, and he reached for a glass of water. She expressed it so easily; how truly right they were for each other. From the moment Gwen had set foot in his apartment, touched him, cooked for him, he knew she was the one. And even though it might seem hasty to the outside world, Tōga's heart resonated with the rightness of it.

That little square box settled deep in his pocket seemed to burn through his thigh, and his heart quickened in anticipation.

Well, no time like the present. Screw conventions.