A/N: So I apologize for the delay in the weekly update. To make a long story short, my laptop almost died from spilled water and I went out of town. I am happy to say my computer is functioning properly =)

Additionally, I sort of want to introduce the extra. I have written 23 completed chapters for this fic in addition to 3 extras, including this one. The extras are intended to be funny snippets of Hiei and Mîra not from Hiei's narrow view all the time. This extra however was created because I felt I needed something between ch 11 and ch 13 to have the relationship in 13 make a little more sense. I originally was going to add a whole chapter but I didn't like what I was writing and then I spilled water on my computer. In the time I was out of town, I thought an extra might be more suitable to bridge the relationship gap between the two chapters and this is what I came up with. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the extra!

Extra: Blanket

Things were seemingly back to normal between Hiei-papa and Mîra-hime, Shana thought. Well, as normal as two people who tried to kill each other now in an arranged marriage could be. Mîra-hime allowed him back into the bedroom, neither of them daring to cross the invisible line that was down the middle of the bed. But the couple seemed strained to the young shadow demon, as though they were specifically trying not to fully enjoy the others presence.

Shana may only be fifty years old but she could see the subtle change in the way Hiei-papa spoke around her, making him seem tough and reliable when ordinarily he didn't care. She watched Mîra-hime's face brighten ever so slightly when he walked into the room, a playful gleam in her eyes as she taunted him. The lack of acknowledgement that they actually got along fairly well however, was driving the shadow demon nuts. Shana didn't want to wait forever, she knew that Hiei-papa knew nothing about women and Mîra-hime was too proud to make a move first. So, out of a desire to not wait another 50 years before the couple got together, she decided to intervene.

"We need a plan," Shana mused, her eyes narrow.

"Yes, well it can't be too obvious or they will know," Maria began.

"And it can't be too subtle because then Hiei-sama won't understand," Claudia finished.

"So you'll help me?" Shana looked at the maids hopefully. The twins looked at each other and then smiled sweetly down at Shana.

"Of course," they chimed. Shana wooped for joy. She knew the twins wouldn't be able to resist. They immediately began tossing ideas around until they finally settled on one that had a lot of variables, but also left the three of them seemingly innocent.

The day after the plan went into action, Shana was energetic and found it difficult to sit still while she waited for Mîra-hime for her morning education, squeezed in between her normal duties. The shadow demon knew that things might not have changed but Hiei-papa hadn't shown up for the morning briefing.

Shana looked up expectantly as the door to the sitting room opened, revealing a flushed Mîra-hime clutching a book to her chest. She glided elegantly over to the young demon and sat down.

"Now, where were we in your studies last time? Ah yes, here we go…" Mîra-hime said smoothly. Shana frowned, disappointed. She was positive something had occurred! Hiei-papa was nowhere in sight and Mîra-hime had an unusual blush on her cheeks. The demoness puffed her cheeks before she practiced her reading. Sometime when Shana was ready to kill herself out of boredom, Maria and Claudia entered the room with snacks.

Shana leapt up for joy, and she noticed the elf eyeing the twins. Shana looked worriedly at the maids, who had small smiles on their faces. Mîra-hime's face scrunched and then she exploded,

"I can't take it anymore! I have to talk to someone!" She cried. Shana jumped at her outburst and she looked expectantly at Maria and Claudia as she began to rant in elvish.

"Mîra-hime, why don't you explain everything to us slowly?" Maria asked.

"Then we can offer you assistance," Claudia added.

The elf breathed deeply and Shana took the opportunity to sneak a piece of cheese before turning her attention to the story. No one seemed to notice.

"Well, last night… I didn't have my usual blanket." She sent a glare at the twins. "How exactly did the blanket receive a wine stain on it again?"

"I was making the bed," Maria began.

"And I was carrying the left over wine when I tripped and fell," Claudia finished.

"They had to strip the sheets!" Shana blurted and the elf crossed her arms, eyeing them suspiciously.

"At any rate… the nights are cool but pleasant so we sleep with the window open. But without my blanket… it was cold." Mîra-hime stopped talking as she blushed, her face looking rather upset. Shana felt upset at seeing the reaction, maybe she had done something wrong.

"I'm not supposed to do things like that, I'm not supposed to-" She stopped abruptly and looked away.

"You're not supposed to like him, to enjoy being around him," Maria said gently.

"But you can't help it, there's just something about him," Claudia added knowingly. Shana was glad the older women were there to help her, they knew so much about relationships!

The elf sighed. "Ancestors, I don't even know how I feel about him. But I can say I made things terribly awkward. Without the blanket, I was cold and I gravitated to the warmest thing." She put a hand to her forehead. "Or in this case, body. I was tired and cold and I just wanted to be warm. But then I realized that I was snuggled against that barbarians back, my arm around him, and my nose nuzzling his ridiculous hair. I froze and he froze and I pulled away, apologetic which was preposterous because I had no reason to be sorry but I broke the line so I should have been sorry because I disrupted his routine and-"

"Have something to drink," Maria suddenly offered. Phew, thank goodness! Shana was having a hard time keeping up while Mîra-hime was flustered.

"But I broke the line! The line that separated my half and his half. It's gone, ruptured, forever blurred. I think he is more shocked that I broke the line than I am." She sighed dejectedly. Shana puffed her cheeks, that meant that Hiei-papa had run off, like he normally does when he can't handle how he feels. Shana didn't understand why. They like each other or they don't like each other, what is there to be so confused about?

The door to the sitting room clicked open and Shana didn't have to turn to know Hiei-papa was behind it. She watched Mîra-hime stiffen and her face glaze over as he walked into the room. Shana noticed the red in her masters cheeks as his cool red gaze flickered on his wife before turning to the maids.

"Maria, Claudia, I want that blanket replaced. Tonight," he growled.

"No, I like the one we had before it was," Mîra-hime glared at the twins," accidently stained."

"It's a blanket, it doesn't matter," Hiei-papa said coolly, crossing his arms. Shana giggled. When Hiei-papa crossed his arms, it usually meant he was about to lose the battle of wills. Shana was very experienced with this look.

"The blanket does matter since I'm the one who sleeps with it. You don't," Mîra-hime said authoritatively. Hiei-papa was so going to lose this one. Shana could see his nose twitch slightly as his eyes narrowed in dissatisfaction.

"I am not a blanket," he snapped and stalked out of the room. Mîra-hime flushed, embarrassed, but Shana was called away by her master who was not in the best of moods. The shadow demon knew when Hiei-papa was in a bad mood, she needed to forget about her plots and focus on the task he would set for her. That allowed him to relax slightly and for her to get away faster. Unfortunately, Hiei-papa must have known she had a hand in the blanket plan because he gave her more paperwork than usual and demanded to be informed when it was finished.

Puffing her cheeks, she set about the work and didn't finish until late that night. She would have to talk to Maria and Claudia and see if there was another plan that would work. But maybe tomorrow. She was tired and she still had to check in with Hiei-papa before she went to bed.

Shana melted into her shadow and darted through the fortress's darkness until she was in the master bedroom. She was so tired she almost popped out without thinking but then she froze. The lights were off Hiei-papa and Mîra-hime were in bed. She started to turn away to leave when she heard Mîra-hime exclaim,

"Oh for the love of the Ancestors!"

Shana's jaw dropped as she watched her mistress curl up behind Hiei-papa and wrap her arm around him. Hiei-papa struggled slightly as he snapped,

"I told you I'm not a damn blanket, woman!"

"You're actually more like a fireplace and I'm cold so get over it."

Shana could not see her masters face but she really wished she could. She stifled a giggle as she imagined his wide eyes and shocked expression. After a few more seconds, Mîra-hime sighed irritably and pulled away from him. Shana frowned, as her mistress sat up she could see the conflicted but disappointed look in her face. There was an awkward stillness when Shana saw Hiei-papa slowly turn towards his wife. Shana knew he was thinking and after a moment he moved behind her, slowly bringing his arm around her. Shana smiled proudly at her Hiei-papa as Mîra-hime intertwined her arm with his and snuggled into his embrace.

Hiei-papa probably wasn't sure what he was doing and Shana knew that he would take a few days off to visit Kurama-sama, but she was proud of him for diving into the unknown. Shana turned, eager to share the news with Maria and Claudia, and she heard them conversing before she was out of earshot.

"I still don't like you, even though you make an amazing fireplace."

"I'm not a fireplace, woman."

"Fine, you are a pleasant source of warmth in absence of the blanket. Is that better for your overly inflated ego?"

"…Hn."

"Not a word."

Shana laughed as she rushed through the shadows. What had Maria called this? Oh yes, matchmaker. And they needed to play again, for sure!