Due to the approaching Christmas season I thought I'd bring this story back up. This story is an old one I made last year, and now it's revised and better! I hope you all enjoy it, happy Thanks Giving/Christmas/New Years (I'm getting a head start.)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha, nor do I lay claim to Santa's Beard, which is a song sung by the Beach Boys.

Santa's Beard

"Sessomawu! Sessomawu, I wanna see Sanna!" The five-year-old Inu Yasha whined as he tugged on his brother's dark purple sweater.

Sesshomaru looked down at his younger half brother with disdain, and roughly tugged his sleeve out of the child's fist, "Shove off, brat." He sneered, white teeth and fangs flashing.

The two brothers, though a good eleven years separated them in age, looked quite a bit alike. They had both inherited their father's snow-white hair and golden honey eyes. Inu Yasha, being only a half demon, had two fluffy white dog ears perched among his long wavy locks, while Sesshomaru had pointed, elf-like ears, and purple tiger stripes on his face and arms. Sesshomaru was tall, and lithe, while Inu Yasha was small and still had plenty of baby fat to go around.

"Daaaddy!" Inu Yasha wailed, causing Sesshomaru to grit his teeth in annoyance, sure, bring daddy into it.

"Just take Inu Yasha to the mall already." Their father said from behind them. Inu Taisho was taller then his eldest son by quite a few inches. He was a handsome demon, with silvery hair he kept tied back, and piercing golden eyes.

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes. Their father was always on Inu Yasha's side. "Fine." He grumbled, not at all pleased. He grabbed his keys off the coffee table and headed out the door, not caring if Inu Yasha followed or not.

Inu Yasha loved the mall, so many new toys just waiting to go home with him. All the lights, sparkling from all directions. It was paradise to such a young child who didn't have very many new toys. All his toys were hand me downs from Sesshomaru's childhood. (Most of them were really cool, like the toy bow with real arrows, even though they had a non-piercing charm on them) Their father just didn't see the point in buying him new toys, especially since Christmas was coming up.

His sunny eyes scanned the halls and focused on a bright red figure sitting in a silver sleigh. Christmas trees circled the man, as well as elves and presents. "There he is! There he is! That's Sanna!" Inu Yasha cried excitedly, practically bouncing off the walls in his excitement.

"Alright, alright. Calm down." Sesshomaru said, taking the child's hand firmly and leading him into the line, then dropping his hand and waiting as if condemned, this was going to be a very long wait.

Inu Yasha fidgeted, he couldn't see Santa Clause any more; he was being obscured by the tall people in front of the child. It wasn't fair! What if Santa left? What if he refused to let a half-breed like Inu Yasha see him? The boy's feet began to drag as the line became shorter and his list of doubts grew longer. The child's little ears gradually lowered, pressing against his head in his depression.

Inu Yasha's hesitance didn't go unnoticed by his elder brother, barely hold his impatience at bay he asked, "What's wrong now?"

"What if he doesn't like me?" The child divulged, "What if he doesn't wan me ta talk ta him? What if he says I can't have a sword cus I'm a bad liddle boy?"

Sesshomaru took a deep breath; he couldn't believe this. Inu Yasha practically drags him here so he can meet 'Sanna' then decides he wants to go home cus he's scared. "Cool it Inu, he's not going to bite you. Santa likes all little kids…no matter how annoying they are." He added under his breath.

Inu Yasha looked up at his brother with large innocent eyes, "Even hanyous?" He asked softly.

So that's what the brat was worried about, "Don't worry about it, Inu Yasha. Santa loves everyone, even annoying little brothers like you."

Inu Yasha's reservations seemed to melt away at his brother's reassurances. If Sesshomaru thought Santa would like him, then Santa must like him.

That decided, Inu Yasha began to anxiously crane his neck in an attempt to see over or around the adults that blocked his view of Santa Clause. But it was no use, he was just too small.

So he tried a different approach. He started jumping. Up and down. Up and down. Higher and higher. His demon blood allowed him to jump high enough to see over the taller humans. His jumping started to attract attention though. People started to give him weird looks, but he didn't care.

Sesshomaru, on the other hand, did care. A slight flush crossed his face as a group of teenage girls walked by, eyeing his brother and giggling. "What on Earth are you doing?" Sesshomaru demanded trying to appear indifferent, and snatching Inu Yasha out of the air.

"I was just trying ta see Sanna." Inu Yasha defended himself.

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes again, and adjusted his brother in his arms, "This better?" He asked in exasperation.

Inu Yasha nodded, a bright smile on his face.

After a few minutes, Sesshomaru became tired of holding the boy, and Inu Yasha began to squirm. The sixteen-year-old set the boy back on his feet with a warning not to jump anymore.

A few moments passed and Inu Yasha tugged on Sesshomaru's shirt a second time that day. "What?" Sesshomaru barked, losing his patience.

"My feet hurt, how long till I get ta see Sanna?"

Sesshomaru sighed, pushing his anger back, "We're almost there." He reassured his brother.

"Really?" Inu Yasha asked hopefully, and Sesshomaru nodded. Inu Yasha returned to trying to see Santa Clause, careful not to start jumping, lest his brother be angry with him.

Soon his patience was rewarded, and he was gazing up into Santa's chubby, old face. Pale blue eyes smiled at him from behind a mask of snowy white hair that was remarkably similar to the brother's coloring.

Slowly he stepped up and climbed onto Santa's lap, gazing up at him with awe.

"Hello, and what's your name?" Santa asked kindly.

Suddenly shy, Inu Yasha lowered his lively eyes, his ears flattening against his head, "Inu Yasha."

"Inu Yasha." Santa repeated, "And what would you like for Christmas?"

Inu Yasha didn't answer right away, his eyes focusing on something poking out from under Santa's shirt. Inu Yasha, being a curious child, reached out and pulled it free, wondering what it was.

His brows furrowed, it was a pillow! Why would Santa be hiding a pillow in his shirt?

His eyes, full of confusion, lifted to Santa's face. He looked worried, and tried to laugh, but it was forced.

Inu Yasha's eyes narrowed on the beard. It looked so weird. Before anyone could react to his first major discovery, Inu Yasha reached out and pulled Santa's beard. It came loose in his hand.

"You're not Sanna." He accused, incredibly hurt. He slid off of Santa's lap and dashed passed his brother and the long line of observers, tears blurring his eyes.

"Inu Yasha!" Sesshomaru called in shock, what had just happened? "Inu Yasha! Get back here!" Without so much as looking at the fake Santa, he dashed after his brother. Inu Taisho was going to kill him.

Sesshomaru found his brother staring into a display case on the other side of the mall. "Inu Yasha?" He asked tentatively. The five-year-old raised his watery eyes from the snowy setting of Santa's Village to the bright eyes of his older brother.

Inu Yasha sniffled, the rushed his brother, hugging him tightly. Sesshomaru froze, not sure what to do. He glanced around to see if anyone was looking, then slowly brought his brother up into his arms, cradling him against his chest.

"That…hic…wasn't Sanna." Inu Yasha told his brother.

"No, it wasn't." Sesshomaru agreed, and his brother pulled away slightly to look into the older boy's face.

"You lied to me?" He asked, totally shocked.

"No!" Sesshomaru said quickly, "Well…yeah, but that's just because Santa Clause just has so much to do right now, that he has to get help. He has so many children to see and take care of, especially so close to Christmas. He has all the toys to pack and all the names to double-check. Wouldn't it be a bit odd if you got Rin's new doll, and she got your new toy sword?"

Slowly Inu Yasha nodded, "I guess so."

"Good, now do you want to go say sorry to that man, and tell him what you want for Christmas?"

Inu Yasha's nod instantly changed to a shake, "No, Sanna."

"Alright." The older brother conceded, "We'll go home then."

Inu Yasha nodded and let his brother carry him back to the car.

Okay, so it's a little early for Christmas...but you like it...don't you? (puppy eyes) I hope so!

Review!