The Taisho fire

The piano

The building eventually caved, beams crashing down, stones exploding from the intense heat. Now that everyone was out of danger and the fire contained, Tōga allowed his senses to stray to the medical truck which, ironically, had barely been used... except to handle his wayward little lady. And from the slight shuffle that reached him – he refused to be in her presence until he had properly cooled down – she was awaking.

"She'll be fine Toga", Stephen told him when he emerged.

The Captain sent his friend a glare that only caused the smirk to broaden. The doctor had never been intimidated by his height, or his greater strength. This strange immunity was the foundations of a solid friendship. Out of them all, Stephen could read him easily. And given the twinkle that shone in his green eyes, the man knew exactly what was running through his mind.

"Why did she pass out, then ?"

"Shock and dehydration."

Tōga ran a nervous hand in his silver strands, tangling it up even worse than the helmet had. Guilt gnawed at his insides; he'd never yelled at his subordinates with such passion, never felt on the brink of losing himself so badly. His bones still shook from fear, and he pushed away the memory of her lithe form, huddled in the brazier. One more second... one more second, and the vortex of fire would have swallowed her whole, burnt her to ashes.

In another reality, Gwen was scattered to the winds. Stephen's hand upon his shoulder startled him, disrupting the many, many bruises that were sure to appear on his skin.

"She'll be fine, Tōga. You saved her life."

"It is because of me she's..."

The delicate hands of the medic squeezed once more, and the Captain swallowed.

"Any other wounds ?", he asked.

The doc shook his head, giving the truck fond look, as if he could see Gwen through the doors. From there, Tōga heard a groan. Silly girl. She had launched herself in the fray, ignoring that he was much better equipped than anyone else to conquer this battlefield.

"Her shoulder will bruise, that's it. Now, mister invincible, can I have a look at your knee ?"

Tōga flexed the joint experimentally, wincing when his forced movement strained the muscles.

"It will heal", he shrugged. "Don't worry about it."

The Captain limped away, shoulders tense and mind in turmoil. Gwen deserved the suspension for disobeying orders. Did she deserve the yelling ? She had looked so heartbroken, so frightened by his outburst that his stomach churned. But if rejection was what it took to keep her safe...

So be it.

"Hey !", Stephen called from the medical truck. He turned around with a roll of his eyes, wondering what else he might have to say about this. The doc gave him a calculating glance - the look out of place in his jovial face - as if searching for secrets he wasn't ready to spill. The effect was lost on him; after facing Gwen's sight, no inquisitive perusal could ever faze him.

A slow smile crept up the corner of Stephen's thin lips.

"Don't keep her in the doghouse."

Tōga's eyebrows rose. Did Stephen know about their little game ? For once, he allowed his inner self to surface and gave his friend a regal nod that the Inu no Taishō had practised thousands of times. The doc only smiled. Tōga snorted; what a freaking day... and it wasn't even noon.

Many long and dragging hours later.

Jolyne marched into his office as if a bataillon of soldiers chased her. Rather than rebuking the lack of knocking, Tōga gave her THE eyebrow. At once, the thirty-year-old woman froze and reached for a wayward curl to keep her fingers busy.