So since I'm doing Yullen week, you guys should get something too.

Like I told them, I am really sorry about not updating much this year. I've just had so much going on with everything it's been hard (thank you Generalized Anxiety Disorder. I really need to be freaking out every day over nothing.)

I will try harder to get more updated in the coming year, but here is some mindless fluff/filler to thank you for everything.

"So… you're not coming home then?"

The deep sigh she heard at the other end of the line made her heart sink even lower than it already was, her arms wrapping around her slim form as she tried to remain out of earshot of the three sensitive ones trying to listen to their parent's conversation. It was late at night, on the eve of what was supposed to be joyous day filled with love and family.

At least, it should've been. Having one of the most important members missing made the event seem hollow and sad.

"I don't know Rin," the demon on the other end of the line admitted softly, "really, I am truly sorry; if everything went according to plan, I would be home with you… and them."

Her lower lips slipped between her teeth as she looked towards the billowing snow. True, it made the Christmas season all the more magical, though she would rather a green Christmas with her entire family in it.

He promised it was to be a short business trip, something to pacify some of his oldest clients. While he felt terrible for disappointing his family, he swore to his wife and children he'd be back.

"But… you must have an idea… a flight… something!?"

"I have the next flight out of here," the demon promised, "but, I don't know when that'll be... if the snow carries on like this-"

"I know, I know," Rin sighed sadly, "just… let me know if you're planning on staying in a hotel for the night."

"I will," he promised.

"They miss you, Sesshomaru," she murmured quietly, her brown eyes peeking in on the three occupants in the living room.

"I know," he informed her, "I miss them too, terribly. And you as well."

She heard the honesty pouring from his lips, the demon obviously upset about his current predicament.

"Do you want to talk to them?" Rin asked softly.

"Will they be okay with it?" Sesshomaru murmured, "not being able to see me?"

"They're tough," she couldn't stop the smile slip on her face, "and they'd want to hear their daddy."

It was amazing to the young woman that she was actually married to one of the most powerful businessmen in Japan, and was once considered the most eligible bachelor by a variety of magazines.

It was even more impressive given that he openly despised humans and half-demons.

Now he was proudly married to one of those humans and was happily raising three of the half-demons he claimed to hate.

"Chie! Kichirou!"

Two eared heads turned to look at their mother, the amber eyes blinking slowly in response.

"Come talk to daddy."

The boy, only five years old, leapt up first at the mention of his idol. Hands extended and excited for the device his mother was beckoning too.

It was his three-year-old sister who beat him to it, her fingers taking the phone and pressing it to her ear excitedly.

"Hi daddy!"

"Chie! I wanted to talk to daddy first!" her younger brother pouted, his hands reaching for the phone while his elder pushed him away.

"Kichirou," his mother murmured, her finger to her lips, "shh."

"But-"

"You got to talk first last time," Rin pointed out, "let your sister talk first, then you can talk to him too."

With his face set in a small frown, his mother busied herself with trying to make it a smile. She kept her ears listening to the conversation their daughter was having with her father, the little girl stammering as she wondered when her dad would come home, her sadness becoming one of positivity as she proposed that perhaps a man in a red sleigh might come by and offer him a lift.

Her son's mood finally lifted once the phone was offered to him by insistence of his mother, the little girl now taking her mother's attention. At least, what little she could offer given the other bundle in her arms.

While the eldest of the three children was fairly stubborn and outgoing, it was his sister that could rival him. Determined and ever the perfectionist, Chie tried so hard to make everything just right, getting frustrated when it wasn't. Though her parents were determined not to spoil any of the three, Chie was always so insistent on getting her way it could be tiring at times. Akemi could be just as demanding, working on new ways to entertain himself and the rest of the family, trying as hard as he could to make everyone around him laugh and smile alongside him.

Everyone including his youngest.

Her son got an equal amount of time with his father, his mother making sure all of them said their farewells and I love you's before taking the phone back, her body trying not to struggle with both the phone and the toddler.

"There's one more," Rin murmured quietly, her body adjusting to hold the phone between her and their youngest child, "say hi to daddy Akemi."

"Hi sweetie," Sesshomaru murmured, his wife could hear the smile on his face, "how are you?"

Their baby girl simply tried to reach the phone for her loving father.

"Akemi," her mother encouraged, "tell daddy how you're doing."

"G… Good," the baby managed to bumble, her eyes turning from her mother to the phone.

"Yeah?" the demon murmured, "have you been good for mommy? Been a little angel for her?"

"Mmmm… n… no…."

"No?" her father laughed softly along with her mother, "why no?"

"… no," she giggled, her fingers twisting to her mouth.

"She's been good as always," Rin interrupted softly, "but her bedtime is soon; she'll get cranky without it."

"I see she's still in love with her favourite word," Sesshomaru murmured, "but you sound as tired as she is."

"A bit," she confessed, "they're all so excited for Santa and for Christmas..."

"And for me," he finished, sighing, "I'm so sorry about this Rin…"

"I know it's not your fault," Rin admitted quietly, "just… come home safe… please?"

"I've got you four waiting for me," Sesshomaru murmured quietly, "if I could, I'd never leave."

Rin smiled at the sincerity of his words, knowing that the demon cared deeply for his family and truly wished he could be home with them as often as he could.

Hanging up on her husband, Rin turned to the two children still playing around the Christmas tree, the task of ushering to them to bed made a little easier when one could threaten them without a visit from St. Nicholas.

Pattering in front of her, Chie and Kichirou ran to the bathroom for their teeth and faces, each child returning to their bedroom to start their nighttime activities while their mother put her youngest to bed.

Thankful for the minimal fussing, Rin leaned over as her child stuck her hand up to be grasped by the delicate fingers that held her so tenderly. Smiling happily at the young woman she was learning to call mama, Rin laughed at her happiness, a light kiss on her forehead before her door was closed tight, her mother continuing on to her other two children, their bedtime story awaiting.

Both children were eager as their mother started in on The Night Before Christmas, the two snuggling up on Chie's bed and next to their mother.

It should've been picturesque, a mother with her two children reading a story before bedtime while the third slept peacefully in her bedroom a few doors down. The absence of their father, however, did leave a small feeling of sadness in her heart. A sadness her children announced.

"When's daddy coming home?"

It was Chie that asked the question as her mother and brother made to leave her room, her mother's face falling slightly at the question.

"I… don't know sweetheart," Rin murmured, her fingers running through the white locks, "as soon as he can; he promised that, right?"

"Yeah," the ears seemed to falter slightly, "but what if he doesn't come back for Christmas…"

"Santa won't let that happen!" Kichirou piped up, almost jumping to his sister's bedside, "Santa'll bring daddy home!"

"Y… Yeah?" the little girl mumbled, her face perking up slightly.

"Yeah!" her brother seemed to bounce with the excitement, "he has too!"

"Kichirou!" Rin chastised quietly, her fingers to her lips, "shh; your baby sister's sleeping."

"Sorry," the boy whispered, "but he is, isn't he mommy?"

The young woman paused, her lungs sucking in a deep breath before she tried to answer.

"He'll… He'll try," Rin started, "both daddy and Santa will try," she swallowed thickly, "but the snow's very very bad, and daddy really wants to be here, okay," she lowered her lips to kiss Chie's temples, "don't forget that… okay?"

Both children seemed slightly deflated at the news, but they wished her a good night all the same.

Walked to his own room and tucked in, Kichirou waited until he received his good night kiss before he turned to his mother.

"Daddy is coming home… right?"

Again, Rin looked down at her eldest child, a sad look in her eyes as she smiled.

"He's trying," the young woman promised, "he's trying so hard."

"But… what if-"

"If he doesn't come… then he'll call and tell us," Rin murmured, "but he's not gonna come because he doesn't want too… you know that right?"

Nodding slowly, Rin kissed him a second time before slipping out of his room, her face finally falling as soon as her children couldn't see.

Before she ever met the demon, Rin would've assume he'd never enjoyed Christmas, probably treating it like every other day by working or avoiding everyone else. Their first Christmas when dating had been one to almost prove that. While he did spend it with her, he seemed almost uncomfortable around his brother and family. For her sake though, he did his best.

Now, with a small family of his own, he seemed more at ease, almost excited for the week he took off as he got to spend it with his growing family. With his children now learning to be excited about Christmas, he loathed having to leave, even though he promised he'd be around for the remainder of the year. The pain on his face was enough to tell her how much he wished he wasn't leaving.

How he had changed.

She first met him through Kagome, the demon passing by as the two girls chatted over tea in Kagome's boyfriend's parent's house, Sesshomaru having come to visit his father for work-related matters. Seeming disgusted by the presence of the young women, he left almost as quickly as he arrived, bumping into them again at his brother's engagement announcement dinner.

The next few months he was all but forced to work with Rin and the happy couple on their wedding plans, the young woman's bubby personality slowly warming his icy demeanor.

In a year he'd gone from avoiding the very room she was in to sharing the same bed with her, from wanting nothing to do with her to touching and kissing her, to always wanting her in his arms.

With a sigh the young woman flopped onto her mattress, the covers sliding up her shivering form in hopes of emulating her husband's strong arms. Her brown eyes closed tightly as she wished silently for there to be someone to bring Sesshomaru home to her and her children. It was the only thing she wanted since they started dating.

"Mommy!"

At the sound of the first whisper, the young woman thought she was still dreaming. It was only the small poke in her back that had Rin jerking awake, her eyes blearily opening to the sight of Chie and Kichirou, both bouncing quietly on their feet next to her bed.

"What are you two doing up so late?" the young woman whispered, her body adjusting under her covers, her sleep keeping her brain from fully functioning, "back to bed both of you! Santa won't come if you're awake!"

"But he's already here!"

Confusion slipped on Rin's face while her children seemed to grow in excitement before they ran out of her room.

"Come on mommy! Santa's here!"

"Chie! Kichirou!" Rin hissed, "get back here!"

She sighed deeply as she kicked off the sheets, her hand grabbing the silken white robe to cover her body. Moving towards the stairs, her white material swished around her ankles as she bent over the children whose faces were pressed between the railings.

Perhaps it was the snow falling from the roof or even an animal running by outside that had woken the children. Either way, it was not something the young woman was interested in dealing with at around three in the morning.

"Chie! Kichirou!" their mother chastised them, "go back to bed-"

"But we wanna see Santa!" Chie whined, her little brother still looking down to the first floor.

"It's not Santa!" Kichirou started, "IT'S DADDY!"

Rin was speechless as her two children ran past her down the stairs, their voices excited as they pattered across the tiled floor. Silently, their mother moved down the stairs after them, her eyes widening at the sight of the man bending down to pull them into a tight hug, his black coat still covered in snow with his white and silver hair still mused.

"You two should be asleep," she heard him whisper as he squeezed them tighter together, "what if Santa doesn't come?"

"But he brought you didn't he?" their son mumbled, his throat thick with tears.

"He hasn't come quite yet," the marked face lifted to kiss his children's cheek, "so you need to go back to bed."

"But you just got back," Chie mumbled, "can't we stay up?"

"Not this late," Sesshomaru whispered as he stood, his amber eyes laying on his wife who stood there, her hands holding her robe closed, her own tears held in for her children's sake. "Rin…"

Her gentle feet moved swiftly across the floor to throw her arms around her husband, her face buried in his shoulder as she sniffled quietly.

"You're late," she whispered, ignoring the cold water soaking her sleeves, her tears pricking at her deep brown eyes as her slim form was pressed to his stronger one tightly.

"I know," Sesshomaru breathed quietly as he buried his nose into her hair, "oh I've missed you guys."

"How-How was the trip?" Rin asked, her eyes wiped with her knuckle.

"Too long," he admitted, "I had to fly to Tokoname."

"But… that's in the Aichi prefecture!" his wife protested, "that's almost four hours away!"

"I had to get home tonight," Sesshomaru told her, "I had to do what it took."

Rin sighed as she returned to his arms, the comfort in his strength making her heart warm while the tug on his pants reminding them of the two kids at his legs.

"Daddy… daddy will be here in the morning," their mother promised, "come on, bedtime guys."

"I won't be going away for a long time," the demon murmured as he lowered his body to their level at the first sign of their protests, "I promise you guys…"

"Kay…"

Rin felt her heart swell as both her five and three-year-old were scooped up into his strong arms.

"Come on, bed time," Sesshomaru murmured, his shoes kicked off before he carried them to bed, both kissed and tucked back in, his black coat only taken off before he went to his youngest daughter's room. After hanging up his coat, Rin returned to watch her husband lean over their baby, his long fingers running over her sleeping form with the soft smile on his lips.

"Hey," Rin called to him, her lips pulled into a small smile as he turned to look at her, his own expression softening at the sight of her.

"Hello," he smiled as he took her back into his arms, "it's been too long."

"Yeah," the young woman agreed, her head resting on his chest.

"I'm sorry," Sesshomaru whispered while he shut the door softly behind him, "if it wasn't for this blasted weather I'd have been home four days ago."

"You're home now," Rin murmured, "I can't believe you did that for us."

"We've been married for almost seven years now," the demon told her, "you should know by now I'd do anything for you and them."

Smiling and hugging him, the deep brown eyes pulled back to look at him, her heart quivering at the warmth in the deep amber. Gently, his hands reached to cup her cheeks, the young woman's own fingers reaching to cover his.

"Your hands are freezing," she whispered, "how long have you been out there?"

"It doesn't matter," he murmured, "I got home."

"Even you're cheeks," Rin continued, her fingers splayed over the markings, "Sesshomaru…"

"If you're so concerned," the demon breathed, his fingers capturing hers as he leaned towards her, "then warm me up."

She giggled quietly before his lips crushed hers, her own mouth returning the kiss with fervour. The demon was chaste at first, patient enough to wait until they ventured into their own room before his tongue took action. Sliding into her mouth, the demon held her tightly against his own chest, kissing and touching what he'd sorely missed on his travels.

He was restrained as he pulled off her nightgown, wanting nothing more than to rip the fabric from her body and take her as passionately as he wanted too.

They almost never got anytime to themselves, their three children taking up most of their time and leaving them too exhausted for their own personal endeavours. Now that Akemi was able to sleep well into the night, the two finally had moments to themselves.

If they were awake enough that is.

Teeth scraping along the alabaster flesh that made his mouth water, the demon did his utmost to keep from leaving any visible marks that would attract the attention of their children and raise odd questions. Her moans were as restrained as she could make them, Rin wanting to keep her children in bed, not wanting them to come snooping at some unknown sound, especially given tonight.

The demon wanted to hear her cries, somewhat hating her silence, though understanding her reasoning.

He'd tried everything to come home to them tonight, not wanting to leave them on the night that family was cherished. It was odd, given that he would've been the man who wanted nothing to do with a family. Before her it was only work; anything of a family he thought of having would've been for reproduction purposes, to produce him a strong heir.

Now he couldn't imagine being without them. It hurt him to be parted from his family, something that now brought him great pleasure and joy. Kichirou's energy made him smile, and Chie's spirit reminded him strongly of Rin's determination. Akemi was still young, but she was starting to be very considerate, loving to laugh more than anything.

And he owed it all to Rin.

She gave him something more than her love. She gave him his humanity.

Her fingers splayed on his warming chest as he loomed over her, his cold clothes falling off his body while his wife aided him in stripping.

"I've missed you," Sesshomaru whispered, his lips trailing over her taunt body, "I've missed this…"

Rin flushed lightly as the fingertips ran down her curves, her body sighing as she relaxed into the comfortable pillow behind her head. Arms stretching over her head and gripping the mattress sheets, her body arching into the warm mouth that offered her pleasure. The demon could have taken her several times over if he wished, having the strength to potentially harm her. Instead, he'd taken his time with her, offered pleasure beyond her wildest dreams, given her the moon and the stars and everything in between.

He was so gentle, so caring, so kind.

Their passion ignited each other's, the warmth spreading between their chests and hearts. Nails cut into muscle and flesh, Sesshomaru hissing at the feeling of his wife's desire cut into him, wondering just how blessed he must be to have such love in his life.

There was power in each thrust of his, the young woman wanting desperately to call for more and cry out in pleasure, their children's sleeping faces reminding her to remain silent.

The demon was just as quiet, whispering sweet nothings in her ears, calling her name and reminding her of his love. His fingertips brushed against the warm flesh, loving the feeling that ran down his spine and reminded him that he was indeed loved by someone compassionate.

He wished he had more energy, that the trip hadn't exhausted him like it did. Only after a few minutes with his beautiful wife had him completely fatigued. He almost collapsed on top of Rin, the young woman panting as she held him tightly, her lips kissing him gently, her body just as tired as he. They remained tangled in each other's embrace as they slept on; the two only waking at the excited knocking on their door.

Sesshomaru was the one dressed first, his body blocking the view from the children as Rin dressed quickly and quietly. With their youngest on her hip, the family descended the stairs, the eldest two excited for their presents as they dove into the pile quickly, the children incredibly excited by the bikes Santa brought them.

Presents were given out in rapid succession by Chie and Kichirou, their parents thankful for the presents they had made their parents in day care and kindergarten, the two new pieces of art for their father and jewelry were promised to be cherished. Akemi simply babbled as she tried to help by tugging at the bright colours, new stuffed friends and blankets given from her family to add to her collection.

They could've had nothing, Rin thought as she gently thanked her husband for the sapphire stones he'd given her; he was here, with them. For her, that was enough. To have her family back, that was enough for her.

"Daddy! You missed something!"

The demon looked up in surprise as his son came bouncing back to him, his daughter looking up from the doll whose hair she was brushing to her father.

Confused, the demon looked from the beautiful writing to his wife, her mouth smiling as she shrugged her shoulders.

"It's a surprise," she told him, her hands gripping her cup of tea, "you need to open it."

Sesshomaru smirked quietly as he opened the envelope, his fingers unfurling the piece of paper, his smile on his face as he read down the paper, his face slowly morphing into shock.

"Daddy?"

Amber eyes flickered from his child's to his wife, her lips pulling into a small smile over the lip of her mug.

"Merry Christmas," she whispered, her hand reaching out to him, "for the fourth time."

Smiling, Sesshomaru lowered down as he wrapped his arms around her, his lips pressing hers as his hands reached for where their next child lay growing.

"And Merry Christmas to you as well," he murmured, their two children pattering around them, very curious as to what the grainy black and white photo held that could make their father smile like that. "Thank you… Rin."

"Always," the young woman responded, her head leaning into his, their other two curling into their embrace, the family whole on a day meant to celebrate it.

Akemi – bright beauty

Chie – wisdom

Kichirou – lucky son