Chapter 10

"Hachoo!" Isamu jumped in Mio's lap and Jakken accidentally dropped his staff while Mio blushed, hiding it behind a long sleeve. The volume of the sneeze itself was not loud in fact the sound was small and closer to that of a mouse's squeak, cute almost.

"Are you well, Lady Mio? That's the fourth time you've sneezed since Sesshomaru-sama left." Mio smiled at Jakken's concern as she gently rubbed a reddening nose.

"I'm alright Jakken, I've just always been very sensitive to cold. I never get used to it. I'm sure I will eventually, I have to with winter settling in-oh." Mio was interrupted when something wet landed on her cheek. She turned to the sky to see that it was starting to snow.

"Snow." Jakken stared at the gray sky in worry. If it was true that Mio was vulnerable to just this amount of cold then real winter would be hard for her especially considering winter hasn't even begun and already she's more pale than usual.

"Beautiful…." She shivered as she held back yet another sneeze, not wanting to worry Jakken and Isamu.

"The snow only serves to further your own beauty." Mio gasped in surprise as she caught sight of Sesshomaru behind the swirling white flakes.

"Sesshomaru-sama!" She stood up carefully, letting Isamu hop off in time before running into Sesshomaru's opened arms. He wrapped his arms around her in welcome.

"Welcome back, Sesshomaru-sama." Her voice was soft and gentle just like the snow falling to the ground.

"I'm back." He was used to saying those two words now, as if he were truly returning to a place where he could call home. Mio tried to stifle a yawn while she was in his arms, but she couldn't hide it from him. Sesshomaru only smiled and lifted her, ignoring her protests and simply walking under the sheltering canopy of a nearby tree. Again using it's roots as a resting place with Mio in his lap. Soon enough Mio was lulled to sleep, unable to resist her beloved's steady heartbeat and the warmth that radiated from him.

"Sesshomaru-sama…" Jakken's voice was barely above a whisper, not wishing to wake Mio up, but Sesshomaru heard him perfectly fine.

"What is it Jakken?" Jakken bowed respectfully, his head lowered and his eyes on the ground.

"With all due respect my lord, I think it would be wise to settle at your mansion for the winter, or rather, every winter from now on." Sesshomaru's brow furrowed in annoyance at his servant.

"And why would you suggest that?" Sesshomaru did not think he could tolerate a month or two of inactivity-or wait. He stopped his anger and looked at Mio's peaceful sleeping face. Perhaps being cooped up somewhere with her wouldn't be so bad.

"When you left it came to my attention that Lady Mio is very vulnerable to the cold. Though you may not be able to see it when you are with her since she is always near you, you keep her warm, but when you are away she sneezes at the slightest cool breeze and she turns rather pale. She even occasionally shivers and winter has not even truly begun." Sesshomaru looked back at Mio, examining her more closely and though her cheeks were flushed with warmth and sleep it was true that her nose was rosy with cold or perhaps from being rubbed to often.

His arms pulled her more tightly against him, wrapping his own fur more securely around her. She seemed to appreciate the warmth and comfort because she smiled in her sleep, cuddling more closely into Sesshomaru's chest.

"I see." He stared at the sky again, as if searching for something before letting his head rest against the trunk of the tree. He turned sharply to Jakken and spoke once more.

"Then we will return to my manor immediately after Mio awakens tomorrow. Go now and make preparations for our return." Jakken bowed again.

"Yes my lord," Sesshomaru stared as Jakken fidgeted and added another thing, "about your room my lord." Sesshomaru's eyes returned to Mio's face.

"Prepare the bed for two and make sure that the treasures and decorations are spotless and flawless before we return. I wish for Mio to be pleased with what she sees." Jakken looked at his lord with sparkling eyes, his respect for the demon growing. He also wished for Mio to be pleased having grown to respect her just as much as Sesshomaru. He nodded eagerly and answered enthusiastically before bounding off, calling Ah-Un to take him to the manor.

"At once my lord! Rest assured, everything will be perfect!" Amber eyes watched as the smoky trail of Ah-Un finally disappeared only to see a stray star streak across the sky.


Mio woke slowly, letting her fingers curl into the familiar feel of Sesshomaru's robe and fur. She watched as her breath came out in large white puffs and noticed that even though the sun had not come out, it seemed brighter than usual. She immediately saw the cause when she stared out at the shockingly alien scenery.

Everything had been covered in white as if the snow converged together and created a blanket to cover the earth. It was breathtakingly beautiful. Mio moved as if to get up, but she found her body quite unwilling to detach from Sesshomaru's own warmth. She tried uncurling her fingers from around the warm fur and robes but her cold fingers wouldn't obey her. Pale, slender fingers began to shake with the exertion and slight fear at being unable to control her own limbs.

Suddenly, Sesshomaru's hands were around hers, sharing their warmth with hers and caressing them gently until her fingers relaxed and released their tight grip. Mio flinched as she felt the stinging pain of having her fingers cramped in such a tense position for so long. Sesshomaru gently lifted her cold tense fingers until they reached his lips, the action causing a warm tingle to travel from her fingertips throughout her entire body. Her glowing amber eyes met his own smoldering topaz ones.

"Sesshomaru-sama…" He kissed another fingertip before speaking.

"It seems Jakken was correct," that startled Mio a little, "it is true that you seem especially vulnerable to cold. Is there a reason for this?" Mio blushed at Sesshomaru having found out something that would make her seem weak to him.

"I-I apologize. I simply grew up in a place where the weather never turned colder than a fall afternoon. I have never been able to accustom myself to cold weather and yesterday was the first day I had even seen snow…. I apologize for such an inconvenience. I will stay elsewhere-" whatever Mio was about to say was cut off by a shockingly tender kiss from Sesshomaru.

"Nothing regarding your safety is an inconvenience. You are the one I have chosen as my mate, your health is more important than my wish to wander. We will settle in my manor for the duration of this winter and every winter henceforth." Mio found herself gaping at the extremely serious demon lord before she caught herself and managed to close her mouth only to open it to say something, anything in response to this incredible favor and kindness he was showing her.

" Oh…Sesshomaru-sama… I do not…. This is….thank you…" Even before Sesshomaru could give some sort of reply, Mio seemed to notice something else he said.

"…..Manor? Your manor?" Didn't Sesshomaru say he had no home? Or rather he simply said that his only home was Mio, the remembrance making her blush slightly.

"Yes, but I do not use it often if at all. It is not the place where I feel safe….comfortable. I have already told you where that is." Mio felt as Sesshomaru's arms found themselves around her slim waist, pulling her more closely against his body. She felt heat rush to her cheeks at being reminded of his obvious favor and compassion for her.

"I-I see and when do we depart for thi-your manor?" A breathless gasp escaped rosy lips when the demon lord lifted her and leaped into the air, a golden cloud lifting them higher until they were well into the sky and already far from the small clearing they had rested in.

"We are departing for our manor now. I had planned to depart as soon as you woke." Her heart warmed when Sesshomaru addressed the manor as belonging to them both, saying louder than any other words that Mio was now an integral part of Sesshomaru's life.